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SERI OMEGA PRIVATE & INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

Subject: ENGLISH LANGUAGE Level: FORM 5 Revision No: 2

Questions 1-8

Circle the best answer.

PLACE USED TOWELS IN THE BATHTUB FOR LAUNDERING

1 The notice above can be found in a hotel room. According to the notice, you should
A send all towels for laundering.
B keep all your towels in the bathtub.
C know only towels will be laundered.
D put only dirty towels in the bathtub.

Your mind is like a parachute - it only functions when it opens

2 The statement above advises a person to

A be diligent.
B have an open mind.
C learn to parachute.
D use the functions of the mind.

Like the five Olympic rings from which they draw their colour and inspiration, Fuwa will
serve as the official mascot of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, carrying a message of
friendship and peace, and good wishes from China to children all over the world.

3 From the extract, we know Fuwa is considered as

A a title
B a symbol
C a sign
D a brand name

1
 Into every life, a little rain must fall.

4 Which of the following has the same meaning as the wise saying above?
A A stitch in time saves nine.
B Too many cooks spoil the broth.
C Diligence is the mother of good fortune.
D Every rose has its thorn.

If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.

Henry Ford

5 According to the quote, success can be achieved when

A people are highly inspired.
B people motivate each other.
C everyone works as a team.
D everyone fulfills their responsibilities.

Cash crops, which are easily marketable, should be extensively grown to tackle the
rising cost of living. The Farmers’ Organisation Authority (FOA) is taking the lead in
planting these crops for direct sale to customers. Vegetable farmers should also be able
to get financial aid from FOA as they may have difficulty getting starting capital from
other financial institutions for such a small venture.

6 The article above talks about

A the rising cost of living that is caused by cash crops.
B the availability of loans from financial institutions.
C the sale of vegetables by farmers at discounted prices.
D how planting vegetables can help with the rising cost of living.

2
 RAWANG: The residents of this steadily growing town have expressed their
dissatisfaction over certain issues. Many are unhappy over the traffic congestion and
pollution from nearby factories. The former is causing anxiety among office workers
and students who are often late to work or school while the latter is affecting their
health. The residents hope the government will look into these problems.

7 The word former in the newspaper report above refers to

A issues B pollution C nearby factories D traffic congestion

The vivid sensation of a missing limb is experienced by almost everyone who

has had a limb amputated. Lord Nelson, the naval commander who lost his right arm in
battle, declared that the phantom sensations in his missing right arm were proof of the
existence of a soul. Today we know the brain holds maps of the body that can be
independent of the body parts it represents.

Phantom limbs might be a strange, even reassuring, phenomenon if they did not
hurt so much. Somewhere between 50% and 80% of all amputees complain of pain in
their phantom limbs.

8 We can conclude that

A phantom limbs have a soul.
B phantom limbs have no sensations.
C phantom limbs hurt a lot.
D phantom limbs experience less pain.

3
 Questions 26-30 are based on the following passage.

1 When the phone calls came through, it took a moment to dash the hopes I’d held for days. I 1
thought I’d had an excellent chance of landing my dream job but it wasn’t meant to be.
Upset at the news, I went for a walk to clear my head. Accompanied by my dog, Phoebe, I
headed for the beach wondering where I had gone wrong. The more I thought about the
job, the worse I felt, so half an hour later, I was well and truly wallowing. 5

2 Suddenly, Phoebe started barking aggressively. Distracted, I looked up and to my

astonishment, I saw a large creature lying at the water’s edge about 100 metres away. I
could not tell what it was, but its bulk and colour led me to guess it was a dead shark.
Phoebe was standing far away from it, barking furiously. I was laughing uncontrollably.
What a big tough blue heeler she was, telling off a dead shark from a nice distance. 10

3 Nevertheless, I soon discovered that it was not a shark. As I approached, I could see the
unmistakable tail of a dolphin but could not quite believe its size. Inspecting it further, I was
surprised to see the blunt shape of its head seemed to me missing the characteristic of a
dolphin nose. A little whale! It was roughly 2.5 metres long, but must have weighed
between 200 and 300 kilograms. I looked it over but saw no signs of injury. Suddenly, what 15
might have been an eye on its blunt head opened, blowing wet air. It was not an eye but a
vent. It was breathing!
4 Shocked and excited, my first thought was to rescue it. I decided to roll it back to the sea
and I managed to roll it a few times, timing my effort as the waves rolled in. I was making
great progress until a giant wave picked the whale up and pushed it back, despite my effort 20
to brace against it. Dejected, I fell backwards underneath the whale and as the water
receded, I found myself in a sitting position with the baby whale in my lap. I could not move.
When the next wave began to roll in, I could feel the panic rising inside me when the water
surged up to my chin, engulfing me. I took a deep breath and went under. Would I be
drowned? Luckily, the whale became buoyant and I was able to scramble out from under it. 25

5 Regaining my composure, I quickly turned it face-first into the oncoming waves. Thankfully,
it worked and with each rising wave it got further and further into deeper water until it was
floating. Then, I looked out to sea. To my horror, with the next wave, I saw the whale turn
sideways again and it was heading back for the shallows. Frustrated, I positioned myself
between the whale and the shore to prevent it from beaching again. 30

6 Not sure what more I could do to help it, I simply held the poor, exhausted creature, talking
to it over and over, trying to reassure it. Out of the blue, the whale flicked its tail.
7 “You are ready now, aren’t you?” I asked. “Are you sure about it?” Flick, flick, the tail moved
again. I waited until we were between waves so I could plant my feet firmly in the sand and
I gave it an enormous shove. It went under the next wave and surfaced a few metres away, 35
slowly moving out to sea. Its tail was now helping to propel it along.

4
8 “Yes!” I cried as I watched it move into deeper water. Then, slowly it started to turn. “No!
Don’t you dare come back here,” I yelled. To my amazement and relief, it casually turned
back around and moved further out to sea. Exhausted but exultant, I made my way up the
beach and watched. By now, I had completely forgotten about the incident in which I was 40
not able to get the job. What I had accomplished today seemed far more important.

Answer all questions. You are advised to answer them in the order set.

26 a) From paragraph 1, explain in your own words what the writer was doing while walking
along the beach for the first half an hour.

______________________________________________________________ [1 mark]

b) From paragraph 2, why did the writer laugh at his pet dog?
________________________________________________________________ [1 mark]
27 From paragraph 3,

a) what made the writer think the creature was a dolphin?

________________________________________________________________ [1 mark]

b) why did the writer change his mind after making a closer inspection?
________________________________________________________________ [1 mark]

28 From paragraph 4, what was the main reason that caused the writer to panic?
________________________________________________________________ [1 mark]

29 From paragraph 5,
a) Regaining my composure (Line 26)
define the phrase.

________________________________________________________________ [1 mark]

b) what made the writer feel irritated with his efforts to save the whale?
________________________________________________________________ [1 mark]

30 a) From paragraph 7, how did the writer know that the whale was now ready for
another rescue attempt?

______________________________________________________________ [1 mark]

5
 b)From paragraph 8, in your own words, describe briefly the accomplishment made by

the writer and how did he feel about it?

_______________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________ [2 marks]

31 The passage describes how the writer has saved the whale as well as his efforts and
feelings during the attempts and his final success.

Based on the passage given, write a summary on:

 how the writer managed to save a beached whale

 the problems the writer faced while saving the whale and
 the writer’s feelings during the attempts and his final success

Credit will be given for use of own words but care must be taken not to change the
original meaning.

Your summary must:

 be in continuous writing (not in note form)
 use materials from line 18 to line 40
 not be longer than 130 words including the 10 words given below

Begin your summary as follows:

The writer saw a beached whale which was still alive…

6
 ANSWER SHEET FOR QUESTION 31
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7
 Continuous Writing
[50 marks]

[Time suggested: One hour]

Write a composition of about 350 words on one of the following topics.

1. Describe a place which you love. State reasons why you love the place and how you feel
about it.

2. Wearing school uniforms is a norm in elementary and secondary schools.

However, there are people who opine that students need not wear uniforms to school.
Discuss.

3. What are the ways for students to achieve success?

4. Write a story about a boy who met with an accident and it changed his life.
However, he did not give up and succeeded later. End the story with ‘…he was thankful
for all the blessings that life had bestowed on him.’

5. ‘All good things come to those who wait.’

Describe an experience when this happened to you.

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

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___________________________________________________________________________

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8
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9
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10
 SERI OMEGA PRIVATE & INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL

Subject: ENGLISH LANGUAGE Level: FORM 5 Revision No: 2

MODEL ANSWER
Questions 1-8

Circle the best answer.

PLACE USED TOWELS IN THE BATHTUB FOR LAUNDERING

1 The notice above can be found in a hotel room. According to the notice, you should
A send all towels for laundering.
B keep all your towels in the bathtub.
C know only towels will be laundered.
DD put only dirty towels in the bathtub.

Your mind is like a parachute - it only functions when it opens

2 The statement above advises a person to

A be diligent.
BB have an open mind.
C learn to parachute.
D use the functions of the mind.

Like the five Olympic rings from which they draw their colour and inspiration, Fuwa will
serve as the official mascot of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, carrying a message of
friendship and peace, and good wishes from China to children all over the world.

3 From the extract, we know Fuwa is considered as

A a title
B a symbol
C a sign
D a brand name

11
 Into every life, a little rain must fall.

4 Which of the following has the same meaning as the wise saying above?
A A stitch in time saves nine.
B Too many cooks spoil the broth.
C Diligence is the mother of good fortune.
D
D Every rose has its thorn.

If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself.

Henry Ford

5 According to the quote, success can be achieved when

A people are highly inspired.
B people motivate each other.
C everyone works as a team.
D everyone fulfills their responsibilities.

Cash crops, which are easily marketable, should be extensively grown to tackle the
rising cost of living. The Farmers’ Organisation Authority (FOA) is taking the lead in
planting these crops for direct sale to customers. Vegetable farmers should also be able
to get financial aid from FOA as they may have difficulty getting starting capital from
other financial institutions for such a small venture.

6 The article above talks about

A the rising cost of living that is caused by cash crops.
B the availability of loans from financial institutions.
C the sale of vegetables by farmers at discounted prices.
D
D how planting vegetables can help with the rising cost of living.

12
 RAWANG: The residents of this steadily growing town have expressed their
dissatisfaction over certain issues. Many are unhappy over the traffic congestion and
pollution from nearby factories. The former is causing anxiety among office workers
and students who are often late to work or school while the latter is affecting their
health. The residents hope the government will look into these problems.

7 The word former in the newspaper report above refers to

A issues B pollution C nearby factories D traffic congestion

The vivid sensation of a missing limb is experienced by almost everyone who

has had a limb amputated. Lord Nelson, the naval commander who lost his right arm in
battle, declared that the phantom sensations in his missing right arm were proof of the
existence of a soul. Today we know the brain holds maps of the body that can be
independent of the body parts it represents.

Phantom limbs might be a strange, even reassuring, phenomenon if they did not
hurt so much. Somewhere between 50% and 80% of all amputees complain of pain in
their phantom limbs.

8 We can conclude that

A phantom limbs have a soul.
B phantom limbs have no sensations.
CC phantom limbs hurt a lot.
D phantom limbs experience less pain.

13
 Questions 26-30 are based on the following passage.

1 When the phone calls came through, it took a moment to dash the hopes I’d held for days. I 1
thought I’d had an excellent chance of landing my dream job but it wasn’t meant to be.
Upset at the news, I went for a walk to clear my head. Accompanied by my dog, Phoebe, I
headed for the beach wondering where I had gone wrong. The more I thought about the
job, the worse I felt, so half an hour later, I was well and truly wallowing. 5

2 Suddenly, Phoebe started barking aggressively. Distracted, I looked up and to my

astonishment, I saw a large creature lying at the water’s edge about 100 metres away. I
could not tell what it was, but its bulk and colour led me to guess it was a dead shark.
Phoebe was standing far away from it, barking furiously. I was laughing uncontrollably.
What a big tough blue heeler she was, telling off a dead shark from a nice distance. 10

3 Nevertheless, I soon discovered that it was not a shark. As I approached, I could see the
unmistakable tail of a dolphin but could not quite believe its size. Inspecting it further, I was
surprised to see the blunt shape of its head seemed to me missing the characteristic of a
dolphin nose. A little whale! It was roughly 2.5 metres long, but must have weighed
between 200 and 300 kilograms. I looked it over but saw no signs of injury. Suddenly, what 15
might have been an eye on its blunt head opened, blowing wet air. It was not an eye but a
vent. It was breathing!
4 Shocked and excited, my first thought was to rescue it. I decided to roll it back to the sea
and I managed to roll it a few times, timing my effort as the waves rolled in. I was making
great progress until a giant wave picked the whale up and pushed it back, despite my effort 20
to brace against it. Dejected, I fell backwards underneath the whale and as the water
receded, I found myself in a sitting position with the baby whale in my lap. I could not move.
When the next wave began to roll in, I could feel the panic rising inside me when the water
surged up to my chin, engulfing me. I took a deep breath and went under. Would I be
drowned? Luckily, the whale became buoyant and I was able to scramble out from under it. 25

5 Regaining my composure, I quickly turned it face-first into the oncoming waves. Thankfully,
it worked and with each rising wave it got further and further into deeper water until it was
floating. Then, I looked out to sea. To my horror, with the next wave, I saw the whale turn
sideways again and it was heading back for the shallows. Frustrated, I positioned myself
between the whale and the shore to prevent it from beaching again. 30

6 Not sure what more I could do to help it, I simply held the poor, exhausted creature, talking
to it over and over, trying to reassure it. Out of the blue, the whale flicked its tail.
7 “You are ready now, aren’t you?” I asked. “Are you sure about it?” Flick, flick, the tail moved
again. I waited until we were between waves so I could plant my feet firmly in the sand and
I gave it an enormous shove. It went under the next wave and surfaced a few metres away, 35
slowly moving out to sea. Its tail was now helping to propel it along.

14
8 “Yes!” I cried as I watched it move into deeper water. Then, slowly it started to turn. “No!
Don’t you dare come back here,” I yelled. To my amazement and relief, it casually turned
back around and moved further out to sea. Exhausted but exultant, I made my way up the
beach and watched. By now, I had completely forgotten about the incident in which I was 40
not able to get the job. What I had accomplished today seemed far more important.

Answer all questions. You are advised to answer them in the order set.
26 a) From paragraph 1, explain in your own words what the writer was doing while walking
along the beach for the first half an hour.

He was indulging in self pity for not getting his dream job. / He was trying to figure
out the reasons for him not getting his dream job successfully. [1 mark]

b) From paragraph 2, why did the writer laugh at his pet dog?
The dog was showing off its bravery by barking at a dead shark from a safe distance.
[1 mark]
27 From paragraph 3,

a) what made the writer think the creature was a dolphin?

He saw the unmistakable tail of a dolphin. [1 mark]

b) why did the writer change his mind after making a closer inspection?
The blunt shape of its head seemed to be missing the characteristics of a dolphin
nose. [1 mark]
28 From paragraph 4, what was the main reason that caused the writer to panic?
He thought he would be drowned. [1 mark]

29 From paragraph 5,
a) Regaining my composure (Line 26)
define the phrase.

the writer was trying to stay calm / the writer was attempting to recover from
panic [1 mark]
b) what made the writer feel irritated with his efforts to save the whale?
He did not seem to be able to get the whale to go towards deeper water. /
He saw the whale turn sideways again and it was heading back for the shallows__
[1 mark]

15
30 a) From paragraph 7, how did the writer know that the whale was now ready for
another rescue attempt?

The whale flicked its tail twice as though it was replying to the writer’s query.
[1 mark]

b) From paragraph 8, in your own words, describe briefly the accomplishment made by
the writer and how did he feel about it?
The writer made a few attempts to save the whale and succeeded in saving it.1 mark
He felt exultant / happy. 1 mark

31 The passage describes how the writer has saved the whale as well as his efforts and
feelings during the attempts and his final success.

Based on the passage given, write a summary on:

 how the writer managed to save a beached whale

 the problems the writer faced while saving the whale and
 the writer’s feelings during the attempts and his final success

Credit will be given for use of own words but care must be taken not to change the
original meaning.

Your summary must:

 be in continuous writing (not in note form)
 use materials from line 18 to line 40
 not be longer than 130 words including the 10 words given below

Begin your summary as follows:

The writer saw a beached whale which was still alive…

16
 ANSWER SHEET FOR QUESTION 31
 shocked and excited, his first thought was to rescue it
 rescued the whale by rolling it back to the sea
 was making great progress until a giant wave picked the whale up and pushed
it back
 Dejected, he fell backwards underneath the whale
 the whale landed in his lap so he could not move
 When the next wave began to roll in, he could feel the panic rising inside him
 when the water surged up to his chin, engulfing him/ he was nearly drowned
 turned it face-first into the oncoming waves and it got further
 To his horror
 the whale turned sideways again and it was heading back for the shallows
 Frustrated
 positioned himself between the whale and the shore to prevent it beaching
again
 talking to it over and over
 planted his feet firmly in the sand and gave it an enormous shove.
 To his amazement and relief, it casually turned back around and moved further
out to sea
 Exhausted but exultant after saving the whale

Continuous Writing
[50 marks]

[Time suggested: One hour]

Write a composition of about 350 words on one of the following topics.

1. Describe a place which you love. State reasons why you love the place and how you feel
about it.

2. Wearing school uniforms is a norm in elementary and secondary schools.

However, there are people who opine that students need not wear uniforms to school.
Discuss.

3. What are the ways for students to achieve success?

4. Write a story about a boy who met with an accident and it changed his life.
However, he did not give up and succeeded later. End the story with ‘…he was
thankful for all the blessings that life had bestowed on him.’

5. ‘All good things come to those who wait.’

Describe an experience when this happened to you.

17
(Question 4)

When Paul was sixteen, he was involved in an accident which changed his life. After
supper that fateful day, he and his friend headed to the cinema to catch a 10.00 p.m. movie.
He was riding a bike and his friend was a pillion passenger.
As he rounded a bend after overtaking another motorbike, an oncoming car intruded
into his lane causing him to lose control as he swerved to avoid it. He was thrown off his
bike and the next thing he knew, he was lying on the road bleeding profusely. Good
Samaritans dialled 911. In record time, the ambulance with its sirens blaring, tore down the
road towards the scene of the accident. The paramedics immediately carried the victims
onto the stretchers and the ambulance sped off. It was unfortunate for his friend, Wilson,
who was pronounced dead on the way to the hospital.
Lady Luck was not on his side too. Paul’s right arm was badly injured, with multiple
fractures. He was bleeding from the mouth and right leg. Upon reaching the hospital, the
medical team immediately swung into action to save his life. The doctor, Doctor Nelson,
paid special attention to his badly injured arm. He did everything he could to save his arm.
X-rays and medical care were carried out to determine the extent of damage to the bones,
tissues and nerves. The results were grim that the amputation was necessary.
Paul’s mother was advised to sign the letter of consent to have his arm amputated. Any
delay would only worsen his condition and Doctor Nelson warned that Paul could succumb
to his injuries any moment. Her throat was too raw with pain for her to speak. Her legs were
heavy and frightening thoughts flooded her mind. To make matters worse, the relatives
pressured his mother seeking alternative treatment from a Chinese physician. He was
discharged against the doctor’s advice. Once home, the Chinese physician attended to Paul
immediately. He inserted a needle into his swollen fingers and found that he had no
sensation in his arm. The Chinese physician told his mother that he should be sent back to
the hospital immediately to have his arm amputated before it was too late. Mum was too
dumbfounded for words.
When Paul was carried back to the hospital later, Doctor Nelson heaved a sigh of
relief when he saw them. The staff readmitted him without any hassle. Doctor Nelson did
not waste any time castigating Paul’s mother. He had a young life to save and any
unnecessary delay would jeopardise rescue efforts. Immediately, Paul was wheeled to the
operating theatre where his hand was amputated. A week later, the doctor had to perform
another daunting task to amputate the stump above his elbow. It was another blow to him
and he sank into depression. However, his family encouraged him that he should not give up.
He was discharged a month later.
A few months after his full recovery, he realised that he had to learn to write with his
left hand. Every morning without fail, he waited outside his house for the newspaper vendor
to deliver the day’s papers. He read the newspapers diligently and learnt as many new
English words as possible with the help of a dictionary. The dictionary was his only teacher
but it was not able to teach him grammar which had somehow vanished from his memory
bank. Hence, he decided to enrol himself in night classes and studied really hard. Five years
later, he passed his A levels.
He found a job in an accounting firm, where he worked for the next eight years,
while pursuing a British accountancy programme. Upon his graduation, tears of joy
streamed down his cheeks. Despite being a school dropout, he had made good in life. His

18
determination had accomplished part of his life’s dream. He was determined to make good
on life and support his mother financially.
Meanwhile, he had a prosthetic arm fitted, and that boosted his self-confidence
greatly. It gave him a sense of normalcy as he used it to carry out daily chores. Besides, he
could dress up like any other young man and look good too. It restored his self-esteem and
his quality of life improved. Over the next two decades of his working life, opportunities and
promotions came his way. The journey was not entirely smooth, but he learnt to cope with
life’s challenges.
At the age of 50, he was in top form. When he recalled Wilson, he believed he still
had something to contribute to the society. Life had been good to him despite the initial
hurdles. His two children were doing very well and he was thankful for all the blessings that
life had bestowed on him.

19