Read the poems below then answer the questions

Poems of Life

A Cat
She had a name among the children;
But no one loved 2
though someone owned
Her, locked her out of doors at bedtime
And had her kittens
duly drowned.
InSpring, nevertheless, this cat
Ate blackbirds, thrushes, 6
And birds of bright voice and
nightingales,
plume and flight,
As well as scraps from 8
neighbours' pails.
I loathed and hated her for this;
One speckle on a thrush's breast 10
Was worth a million such; and yet
She lived long, till God gave her rest. 12
Edward Thomas (1878 - 1917)

29
2.7. POEMS OF LIFE
Travelling through the Dark
Traveling through the dark I found a deer
dead on the edge of the Wilson River road.
It is usually best to roll them into the canyon:
that road is narrow; to swerve might make more dead.

By glow of the tail-light I stumbled back of the car

and stood by the heap, a doe, a recent killing;
she had stiffened already, almost cold. 6
I dragged her off; she was large in the belly.
My fingers touching her side brought me the reason-
her side warm; her fawn
was
lay there waiting, 10
alive, still, never to be born.
Beside that mountain road I hesitated.
1
The car aimed ahead its lowered
parking lights;
under the hood purred the steady
engine.
I stood in the glare of the warm exhaust
turning red;
around our groupl could
hear the
wilderness listen. 16
I thought hard for us all-my only
swerving
then pushed her over the edge into the river. 18
William E. Stafford (1914 - 1993)

For questions 49-55, choose the option (A, B, C or D) which you think best answers the ques
tion.

49. In both poems,

A. Something has to die to benefit another

living thing.
B. The poets afraid of death and thus tries not to
are
think about it.
C. The poets hate animals that hunt others.

D. The poets love all animals and believe that life is of

equal value.

30 TEXTS
CHAPTER2. PAIRED
 50. In which poem(s) does the author think about the results of their actions?

A. 'A Cat'

B. Travelling through the Dark'

C. Both poems

D. Neither poem

51. Both poems make one aware of

A. The unfairness of life.

B. How many animals hunt for

prey.
C. The importance of animals to nature.

D. The importance of animals in enriching the life of humans.

52. In 'A Cat' how does the poem feel about the cat

A. Admiration

B. Adoration

C. Scorn

D. Concerned

53. In 'A Cat' what does "pails" mean as it is used in the passage?

A. Light in colour

B. Bucket
C. Pocket
D. Dinner plate

2.7. POEMS OF LIFE 31

 does the poet mean by "my only swerving"?
4 . In "Travelling through the Dark, what
deer.
A. He had to swerve hard to avoid the

B. He couldn't save the deer by swerving.

from the car.
C. He wished the deer had swerved away
the cliffi.
D. He was unsure about pushing the deer over

55. In "Travelling through the Dark, why does the poet hesitate to push the deer offthe road?

A. He feels sorry for the deer

B. He doesn't have the physical strength to do so

C. He doesn't want to disturb nature

D. He finds out that the deer was pregnant

32 TEXTS
CHAPTER 2. PAIRED
 CHAPTERR 3
Reading
General Approach
The reading section require students to read one text of any text type (poem, short story, novel extract,
newspaper article) and respond to a series of multiple choice questions. Comprehension questions usually
fall under one of the following categories:

1. Finding the Fact: the easiest questions to answer are finding the fact questions, where students are
requires to locate a specific piece of information in the text. It does not require abstract understanding
but rather, the ability to read closely and accurately.

2. Main Idea: these questions are the very common, and it requires students to identify the main
purpose and/or abstract message behind the text.

3. Context Based Definition: the meaning of a word or phrase must be extracted from the context in
which it is used. A strong vocabulary will help students answer these questions easily.

4. Relationship Between Ideas: these questions ask students to demonstrate their understanding of
relationships in the text an example would be to ask students about what caused an event in the text.

5. Extrapolation Question: often considered to be the most difficult style of question in comprehension
tasks, students must isolate the relationship befween two passage components and match it with a
similar idea outside of the text.

The recommended approach is as follows:

1. Read the questions first- this helps students know what they should look for during reading.

2. Read the text and underline sections relevant to the questions.

3. Attempt the questions, being careful to readthe question carefully and avoid careless errors. Marking
out exactly where the answer was found will help the student when they come back to check tho
answers.

4. Check the answers carefully again if time allows.

Helpful Tips
A crucial skill students must develop is to see beyona the iteral words. A great way to practise this
skill is to, after checking the answer and making corrections, reread the text and try to see what
missed on the first reading.
deeper meanings were
Many students willstruggle with the amount of texts theymust read within the time limit. Readingi
ike a muscle, and it can be trained through reading books which are at the right level or slightly higher
for the student. This helps them learn the rhythms and patterns of writing, allowing them to better
understand the meaning of a text.
speed read and efficiently

33
 Life in a Prison Camp
A faint early morning haze dissipated, in I
the cold, clear light of day looked r o u . .
place to which I had been consigned to spend twenty-five years of my life. Camp 302
between 300 and 400 miles south of the Arctic Circle, was a rectangular enclosure 3, lying
ure half mile
long and about 400 yards broad, at each comer of which stood a guard tower raised t
igh on
Solid timber stilts, manned by machine-gun crews. The main gate, around which rEn
the troops' quarters, the kitchens. Storehouses and administrative huts, faced west in t of
shorter sides the of the
the of oblong. Roughly in the centre enclosure
was
open an
ground which served as the security no-man's-land between the soldiers and the prisoner of
stretch
ners.
Between us and the surrounding forest were the typical defences ofa prison camp. Loobi
from the inside, the first barrier to freedom was an unbroken ring of coiled barbed wire, be. oking
hind which was a six-feet-deep dry moat, its inner side cut downwards at an angle of about
thirty degrees and its outer wall rising sheer and perpendicular to the foot of the first of two
twelve-feet-high log palisades presenting a smooth surface inwards but strongly buttressed
on the far side. Both outer sides of the two wooden walls were protected by rolled barbed
wire. The space between the two provided a well-beaten track giving access to from the main
gate guardroom to all four control towers, and was regularly patrolled by armed sentries ac-
companied at night by police dogs, who shared kennels near the west gate with a pack of sled
dogs.
Mingling diffidently with us that first morning were about 1000 men, a large proportion of
them Finns, who were already installed when our bedraggled crowd of 4500 arrived. They
came from four bighuts at the eastern end ofthe compound. These log-built prisoner barracks
were about eighty yards long by ten yards wide, conforming in situation with the general plan
of the camp itself, the doors, facing west, in the narrow end and protected from the direct blast
of wind and snow by small covered pouch with a southerly opening. It was obvious that there
was no accommodation for us newcomers.

For questions 1-6, choose the option (A, B, Cor D) which you think best answers the question.

1. The weather can best described to be:

A. mild and temperate

B. erratic and changing

C. harsh and rough

D. chilly but moist

CHAPTER3. READING
34
 2. An alternative verb for "dissipated" as used in the passage would be:
A. dissected

B. dissented
C. dissolved

D. distanced

3. If a prisoner stood inside the camp and was gazing out, the first obstacle to his possible
escape would be:

A. the guard's towver

B. the dry moat

C. the coiled barbed wire

D. the 12-foot high palisade

4. Given the context, palisades are most likely a type of:

A. building material

B. gate

C. fence

D. wall

5. Which of the following conclusions can be made about the prison?

A. It was automated with machine guns and there were minimal soldiers.

B. The camp must have been situated next to a lake.

C. There is purposeful distance left between the soldiers and guards for safety rea-
sons.

D. The prison, because people stayed there for so long, was designed for comfort.

6. Which of the following can be safely inferred from the text?

A. There was an overflow of prisoners.

B. 1000 new prisoners were captured.

C. It was absolutely impossible to escape from the prison.

D. The men were under 24 hour sentry surveillance.

3.1. LIFE IN A PRISON CAMP 35

 The Most Dangerous Game
off there to the right-somewhere-is a large island, said whitney. it's rather a /stery"

"What island is it?" Rainsford asked.

replied." A Suggestive name, isn't it? Ca
The old charts call it 'Ship:Trap Island," Whitney bailors
know why. Some superstition-"
have a curious dread of the place. I don't
the dank tropical night that
to peer through
Can't see it," remarked Rainsford, trying was
blackness in upon the yacht.
palpable as it pressed its thick warm

"You've good eyes," said Whitney, with a laugh," and l've seen you pick off a moose moving in
the brown fall bush at four hundred yards, but even you can't see four miles or so throuph

moonless Caribbean night."

moist black velvet."
"Nor four yards" admitted Rainsford. "Ugh! It's like
t will be light enough in Rio," promised Whitney. "We should make it in a few days. I hone
the jaguar guns have come from Purdey's. We should have some good hunting up the Amazon.
Great sport, hunting"

The best sport in the world" agreed Rainsford.

"For the hunter" amended Whitney. "Not for the jaguar"
"Don't talk rot, Whitney" said Rainsford. "You're a big-game hunter, not a philosopher. Who
cares how a jaguar feels?"

"Perhaps the jaguar does," observed Whitney.

"Bah! They've no understanding"
"Even so, I rather think they understand one thing-fear. The fear of pain and the fear of death:'
"Nonsense" laughed Rainsford. "This hot weather is making you soft, Whitney. Be a realist.
The world is made up of two classes-the hunters and the huntees. Luckily, you and I are
hunters. Do you think we've passed that island yet?"

"I can't tell in the dark. I hope so."

"Why? "asked Rainsford.

"The place has a reputation-a bad one."

"Cannibals?" suggested Rainsford.

"Hardly. Even cannibals wouldn't live in such a God-forsaken place. But it's gotten into sailor
lore, somehow. Didn't you notice that the crew's nerves seemed a bit jumpy today?"

They were a bit strange, now you mention it. Even Captain Nielsen-"

"Yes, even that tough-minded old Swede, who'd go up to the devil himself and ask him for a
light. Those fishy blue eyes held a look I never saw there before. All I could get out of him

36 CHAPTER 3.READING
was "This place has an evil name among seafaring men, sir' Then he said to me, very gravely,
Don't you feel anything?-as if the air about us was actually poisonous. Now, you mustn't
laugh when I tell you this-I did feel something like a sudden chill.
wThere was no breeze. The sea was as flat as a plate-glass window. We were drawing near the
island then. What I felt was a-a mental chil; a sort of sudden dread."
"Pure imagination" said Rainsford. "One superstitious sailor can taint the whole ship's com-
pany with his fear"

For questions 7-12, choose the option (A, B, C or D) which you think best answers the ques
tion.

7. Which crew member seems to be the most empathetic of the jaguar?

A. Rainsford

B. Whitney

C. Captain Nielsen

D. None of the above

8. Why is the island believed to be dangerous?

A. It is where a tribe of cannibals live.

B. There are a lot of dangerous animals on the island.

C. Ships are often wrecked near its shores.

D. It is feared for a long standing superstition no one remembers.

9 Why was Whitney more convinced about the danger of the island than Rainsford?
A. Whitney was a more superstitious person than Rainsford.

B. Whitney knew why the sailors were superstitious but Rainsford did not.

C. Whitney believes he personally experienced the island's evil.

D. Whitney had a closer relationship with Captain Nielson.

37
3.2.THE MOST DANGEOUS GAME
10. What is the Significance of "one superstitious
sailor can taint the
whole ship's company
with his fear"?
A. It reinforces Rainsford's disbelief
in the island's danger.
B. It shows that Whitney understands the implications of his fears.

C. It foreshadows the ship will come into great danger.

well.
D. It suggests Rainford is becoming frightened as

11. What time of day is the scene set?

A. Early dawn

B. Night
C. Dusk

D. Afternoon

12. Where are Whitney and Rainsford headed off to do?

A. To meet Captain Nielson.

B. To investigate the mysterious island.

C. To acquire weapons.
D. To hunt jaguars.

38 CHAPTER3 READING
 Harsh Winters

The last few winters in the UR have proven especially harsh. Each winter seems to bring
several major snowtalls of 5 to 8 inches in 24 hours; most of the UK is not equipped for such
blizzards. Only a few local authorities in England have snow ploughs, as gritting lorries are
LuSually sufficient for snowfalls of 3 inches or less. Unfortunately, gritting salt is not effective
during snowtalls with larger accumulations, with the consequence that thousands of schools
have had to shut, sometimes for a week or even longer, until the snow has melted, because
there is no other way of clearing the roads and pavements.

Many people have suggested that the UK must plan better and invest in appropriate winter
equipment, so the country does not continue to stop working and travelling whenever there is
more than a few inches of snow. Some countries with very harsh winters, such as Norway and
Sweden, view road safety as a shared responsibility ofalldrivers (rather than purley a matter
of state spending) and require all cars and lorries to switch to studded tyres during fixed
dates each winter. Other countries that experience frequent blizzards in winter, such as the
USA and Canada, invest in mechanised equipment that can clear airport runways quickly, dig
out snow that has settled around planes parked at boarding gates and 'de-ice' planes so they
are safe to fly in the harshest of winter conditions. Sadly, there is no such equipment at major
British airports such as Heathrow, where a blizzard in December 2010 required hundreds of
planesthat were parked at passenger gates as the snow fell to be dug out by hand, resulting
in severe flight delays for five days and costing the airlines and the British economy to lose
tens of millions of pounds.

Alongside blizzards, there have been several instances of severe rainfall and flash flooding
throughout the UK in recent years, such as Storm Desmond, which affected 16,000 homes in
Cumbria during December 2015, and flash flooding in Cornwall in the summer of 2017, with
a month's worth of rain falling on a single day in August. This heavy rainfall can be equally
disruptive without effective preparation and planning: Storm Desmond is estimated to have
cost the country £500 million.

For questions 13-18, choose the option (A, B, Cor D) which you think best answers the ques
tion.

13. The author would likely disagree with which of these assertions?

A. A storm in 2015 had likely incurred costs of £500 million

B. Winters in the UK have experienced more snow in the last few years

C. Snow ploughs are crucial for combating snowfalls of 3 inches or less

D. The UK had previously experienced a blizzard in 2010

3.3. HARSH WINTERS 39

 14. Gritting salt works best when
falls.
A. applied to roads before snow

B. used in combination with

studded tires.

.supplied from North America orScandinavia.

accumulates.
D. fewer than 3 inches of snow

s . The passage suggests that Heathrow does not have

American airports.
A. any of the equipment found at
B. equipment necessary for quick clearing of runways.
C. a plan to deal with passengers in a blizzard.

D. a method of clearing snow from parked planes.

16. The most severe consequence of heavy snow in the UK mentioned in the passage is that

A. children missed a day of school.

B. pavements were especially slippery and caused many injuries.
C. financial losses in the tens of millions were incurred.
D. Heathrow had to hire American de-icing equipment.

17. Which of the following statements is best supported by the passage?

A. The winters in the UK have been progressively getting worse.

B. Implementing snow clearing solutions is more costly than the benefit they bring

C. Blizzards do not occur very often in the UK.

D. Heathrow airport provides significant revenue to the British economy.

18. Which of the following statements about Storm Desmond is incorrect?

A. The storm affected Heathrow airport.
B. It is estimated to have costed the
country £500 million.
C. It affected 16,000 homes.
D. It travelled through the region of Cumbria.

40 CHAPTER 3. READING
The Raising of The Mary Rose
The excavation and salvage of this 16th century Tudor warship shows how underwater ar-
chaeology should be done. It also supports that such a task is a long-term undertaking that
can generate enormous public support.
The Mary Rose was built between 1509 and 1511 and served in Henry VIl's navy for 34 years
until she sank off the south coast of England on July 19th, 1545. The French claim one of
their cannons sent her to the bottom, but other evidence indicates she may simply have been
overloaded or mishandled.

Farly salvage attempts failed and the wreck was forgotten. She was rediscovered in 1971
and the outline of the hull was gradually exposed and surveyed. Only when this had been
completed- seven years later - was a trench opened up across her bows giving archaeologists
their first view of her interior. They struck it lucky. Many of the crew's personal possessions
as well as the ship's stores were preserved. The hull was also shown, at this point, to be
salvageable.
The Mary Rose Trust was then formed in January 1979 'to find, to record, to excavate, raise,
bring ashore, preserve, report on and display for all time in Portsmouth, the Mary Rose
The warship was finally raised on October 11th, 1982. An estimated 60 million television
viewers worldwide watched her come to the surface in the first ever live broadcast from un-
derwater.
Over 19,000 artefacts were collected from the Mary Rose. But she had contributed more than
this, adding volumes to our knowledge of ship design and construction from the Tudor period
and the life and times of a warship's crew.

For questions 19-24, choose the option (A, B, C or D) which you think best answers the ques
tion.

19. Approximately how old would the Mary Rose be today?

A. 34 years

B. 475 years

C. 510 years

D. 1900 years

3.4. THE 41
RAISING OF THE MARY ROSE
 20. Where is the Mary Rose docked now?

A. on the ocean floor

B. in Tudor

C. in France

D. in Portsmouth

21. Which of the

following option likely describes the relationship between the French and
the English at the time of Henry VIll

A. Allies

B. Enemies

C. Neutral

D. Supportive

22. Which of the

following statements about the Mary Rose is true
A. Its shipwreck was first discovered in 1971
B. Until 1979, there was no intention to restore Mary Rose
C. 60 million television
viewers watched
Rose
a
recording of the raising of the Mary

D. The Mary Rose trust was formed 3-4 years before it was finally raised
23. Why were such a
large number of people interested in
Rose reached the surface? seeing the moment when a
A. The Mary Rose was an old
archaeological artifact
B. People were interested in the ship and
the new
technology of underwater ph
tography
C. It was the first time
TV had been
broadcast to the public
D. People were
fail watching because they were expecting the
raising of Mary

42
CHAPTER3 READING
 did the Mary Rose sink?
24. Why
A. A French cannon took it down.
B. It was overloaded.
C. It was mishandled.
D. None of the above.

3.4.
THE RAISING OF THE MARY ROSE 43
 The Village Blacksmith
Under a spreading chestnut-tree
The village smithy stands;
The smith, a mighty man is he,
With large and sinewy hands;
And the muscles of his brawny arms
Are strong as iron bands.

His hair is crisp, and black, and long

His face is like the tan;
His brow is wet with honest sweat,
He earns whate'er he can,
And looks the whole world in the face,
For he owes not any man.

Week in, week out, from morn till night,

You can hear his bellows blow;
You can hear him swing his heavy sledge,
With measured beat and slow,
Like a sexton ringing the village bell,
When the evening sun is low.

And children coming home from school

Look in at the open door;
They love to see the flaming forge,
And hear the bellows roar,
And catch the burning sparks that fly
Like chaff from a threshing-floor.

He goes on Sunday to the church,

And sits among his boys; 26
He hears the parson pray and preach,
He hears his daughter's voice,
Singing in the village choir,
And it makes his heart rejoice.

It sounds
to him like her mother's voice,
Singing in Paradise! 3
He needs must think of her once more,
How in the grave she lies;
And with his hard, rough hand he
A tear out of his eyes.
wipes

44
CHAPTER3 READING
 Toiling-rejoicing-sorrowing.
Onward through life he goes;
Each morning sees some task begin, 38
Each evening sees it close
40
Something attempted, something done,
Has earned a night's repose.
42
Thanks, thanks to thee, my worthy friend,
For the lesson thou hast taught!
44
Thus at the flaming forge of life
Our fortunes must be wrought;
46
Thus on its sounding anvil shaped
Each burning deed and thought.
48

Forquestions 25-30, choose the option (A, B, Cor D) which you think best answers the ques-
tion.

25. How does the blacksmith's children make him feel?

A. Overwhelmed

B. Disappointed
C. Proud

D. Surprised

26. What is the main

purpose of verse 3?
To illustrate how hard the blacksmith works.

B. To describe the blacksmith's

appearance and strength.
C. To introduce the blacksmith as a core member of society.
D. To explain what happens on a Sunday at the village.

. Which of the following adjectives best describes how the village children feels about the
Blacksmith?
A. Annoyed

B. Indifferent

C. Bewildered

D. Inspired

35.THE VILLAGE
BLACKSMITH 45
 world in the face"?
to "looks
the whole
is the blacksmith able
8 Why
anyone in public.
expressed displeasure at
A. He has n e v e r

to anyone.
not indebted
B. He is self reliant and is
conflict with anyone.
C. He has never engaged in

let important project

past him.
D. He never an

29. What does "repose" mean as it is used in the passage:

A. Return

B. Sleep

C. Wealth
D. Work

30. What does the poet wish for the audience t take away from the blacksmith's actions?

A. Hard work everyday is monotonous but necessary.

B. Finding love and happiness in your family is crucial for a rewarding life.

C. Being honest and true is what will bring good fortunes to our lives.

D. We must work endlessly like the blacksmith to control ourfutures

CHAPTER3 READING
46
 Ballad of the Totems
My father was Noonuccal man and kept old tribal way,
His totem was the Carpet Snake, whom none must ever slay;
But mother was of Peewee clan, and loudly she expressed 2
The daring view that carpet snakes were nothing but a pest.

Now one lived inside with us in full immunity,

For no one dared to interfere with father's stern decree:
6
A mighty fellow ten feet long, and as we lay in bed
We kids could watch him round a beam not far above our head.
8
Only the dog was scared of him, we'd hear its whines and growls,
But mother fiercely hated him because he took her fowls. 10
You should have heard her diatribes that flowed in angry torrents,
With words you'd never see in print, except in D.H. Lawrence. 12

"I kill that robber" she would scream, fierce as a spotted cat;
"You see that bulge inside of him? My speckly hen make that!" 14
But father's loud and strict command made even mother quake;
I think he'd sooner kill a man than kill a carpet snake. 16

That reptile was a greedy guts, and as each bulge digested

He'd come down on the hunt at night, as appetite suggested. 18
We heard his stealthy slithering sound across the earthen floor,
While the dog gave a startled yelp and bolted out the door. 20

Then over in the chicken-yard hysterical fowls gave tongue,

Loud frantic squawks accompanied by the barking of the mung 22
Until at last the racket passed, and then to solve the riddle,
Next morning he was back up there with a new bulge in his middle. 24

When father died we wailed and cried, our grief was deep and sore,
And strange to say from that sad day the snake was seen no more. 26
The wise old men explained to us: "It was his tribal brother,
but looked hard at mother. 28
And that is why it done a guy" some
-

She seemed to have a secret smile, her eyes were smug and wary,
She looked about as innocent as the cat that ate the pet canary. 30
We never knew, but anyhow (to end this tragic rhyme)
about that time. 32
I think we all had snake for tea one day

47
3.6. BALLAD OF THE TOTEMS
 which you think| best answers
option (A, B, Cor
D)
For questions 31-36 choose the the
tion. ques
father?
31.
why was the carpet snake so special to the poet's
house.
A. It killed pests found around the
B. It held links to his father's ancestry.

C. It provided food for the family.

D. It looked over and protected the children at night.

32. What does "diatribes" mean as it is used in the passage?

A. insults

B. compliments

C. gossip

D. musings

33. Which of the D.H. Lawrence's

following most likely describes writing?
A. Witty
B. Conversational

C. Descriptive

D. Crude

34. Why didn't the mum kill the carpet snake straight away?
A. She was scared of the snake.
B. She was scared of the father.
C. She didn't want to harm a
living thing
D. She liked the snake when it didn't eat her animals.

48
CHAPTER3. READING
What does the poet mean when she writes "Now one lived inside with
35. us in full imm
nity?
A. The family had one person who was not scared of snakes.

B. The family was forbidden to kill the snake.

C. The snake who was living with the family was fully vaccinated.

D. The snake was forbidden to kill the family.

6. What does the simile "as innocent as the cat that ate the pet canary" imply?
A. The mother was innocent, just as the cat is innocent.

B. The mother was the who killed her

one own speckled fowl.
C. The father was murdered by the mother

D. The mother was not innocent of the snake's disappearance.

3.6.BALLAD OF THE
TOTEMS 49