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Text Type Marks:

EXERCISE Blog Entry /13

Read this blog entry carefully.

An Amazing Circus Show

My family and I went to the Superstar
Circus last weekend. We went to the last
show at nine o’clock. The horses performed
first. These animals were well trained by
a young man dressed in green with a long,
cracking whip. The horses pranced around
when the band started to play. Everyone
was amazed!

The young acrobats were up next.

They were mostly girls in their teens.
They performed amazing feats on two-legged chairs and a unicycle. The
most hair-raising feat was performed by a fifteen-year-old girl. She rode a
bicycle on a tightrope. Its wheels barely balanced on the thin rope. As she
attempted to cycle from one end to the other, she almost lost her balance
twice. The crowd broke into a huge applause when she finally finished her
performance!

The next act was just as exciting. A huge elephant stepped cautiously
on its trainer before walking over him. The audience responded with loud
applause once again. It was indeed a thrilling act!

The clowns entertained the audience during the interval. They played
tricks on each other and even on some of the people in the crowd. We had a
hearty laugh as they finished their act with a funny song and dance.

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 After the interval came the wild animals. The lions would sit, roll over
and roar on command. The trainer was so close to the fierce animals that
we squirmed in our seats.

The show ended with a group of clever chimpanzees showing off their
arithmetic skills. It was already eleven o’clock when we left the circus.
We were thrilled by the experience of watching a great, live show! It was
indeed a show not to be missed!

Posted on 2nd August, 20:45

Choose the best answer and write its number in the boxes.

1 The acrobats were between years old. [1 mark]

(1) eight and twelve
(2) thirteen and nineteen
(3) twenty and twenty-five
(4) thirty and forty

2 The audience was when they saw the trainer being so  [1 mark]
close to the lions.
(1) bored TIP!
(2) nervous What did the audience
(3) depressed do when it saw the
lions?
(4) excited

prance (v.) : to move with high steps

interval (n.) : a period of time between two events
squirm (v.) : to move around with small twisting movements

 11 
3 In the last act, the chimpanzees could . [1 mark]
(1) dance
(2) sing
(3) do sums
(4) tell time

4 The phrase ‘live show’ in the last paragraph suggests that  [1 mark]
.
(1) the circus had animals
(2) the circus was near a zoo
(3) the circus showed video clips of animal performances
(4) the animals and people performed in front of an audience

5 This blog entry was probably written by . [1 mark]

(1) the horse trainer
(2) the owner of the circus
(3) one of the audience who had watched the circus perform
(4) one of the acrobats

Fill in the blanks. [2 marks]

6 Find the words from the blog entry that have the following meanings.

(1) break =

(2) tried =

What did the audience watch in the circus show? Put the sentences  [6 marks]
in the correct order. Fill in the blanks with the correct numbers.

7 (1) The acrobats performed feats on a unicycle.

(2) The lions sat and rolled over.
(3) The huge elephant stepped on its trainer.
(4) The horses pranced around.
(5) The chimpanzees made calculations.
(6) The clowns played tricks.

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 12 
 10
Text Type Marks:
EXERCISE Story /15

Read this story carefully.

Catching the Thief in the Field

There was once a rich farmer who owned
a big, fine corn field. While strolling in his field
one day, he noticed that someone had stolen his
corn. He was so angry that he stormed home
and called his three sons, Michael, George and
John. ‘There was a thief in my field last night
and he stole much of my corn. I’ll reward the
one who catches the thief,’ he said.

The first night, Michael kept watch as he

was the eldest. He took with him a sword as well as some food and drinks. He
settled down under a tree. Soon, he fell asleep. When he woke up the next day,
he realised the corn had been stolen again.

That evening, it was George’s turn to keep

watch. He took along a pistol and a wooden
club. However, he, too, fell asleep. The next
morning, he found that the thief had struck
again.

It was John’s turn on the third night. He

took neither sword nor pistol with him. He
brought along only a piece of rope. Along the
way, he gathered some thorns to make a ring.
He placed the ring of thorns around his neck.
Every time he started to nod off, the thorns pricked his chin. In this way, he
was able to stay awake.

 31 
 Towards midnight, John heard the sound of hoofs in the corn field. Quietly,
he threw the thorns aside and crept forward. He saw a magnificent wild horse
eating the corn. Using his rope, he caught it without much difficulty and led it
to the stable.

Early next morning, his brothers woke

him up from his bed. They laughed and
poked fun at him. ‘A fine guard you are!’
they teased. ‘You did not even stick to your
post!’

John smiled and took his father and

brothers to the stable where the horse
stood. John’s father was delighted! That
morning, they took the horse to the market
and sold it at a good price. Their father gave
the money to John as a reward.

Choose the best answer and write its number in the boxes.

1 The farmer discovered that his corn was missing when . [1 mark]
(1) he called his three sons (3) he awoke the next morning
(2) he settled down under a tree (4) he took a walk in his field

2 Why was Michael chosen to take the first watch? [1 mark]

(1) He had a sword.
(2) He was the eldest son.
(3) He wanted the reward for himself.
(4) He had enough food to last through the watch.

stroll (v.) : to walk somewhere in a slow relaxed way

prick (v.) : to give someone an unpleasant feeling on the skin; to be like a needle
poking the skin
poke fun at somebody (idiom) : to say unkind words about someone so that others
laugh at him

 32 
3 Why did John not fall asleep during his watch? [1 mark]
(1) The thorns kept him awake.
(2) He was not sleepy at all.
(3) The sound of hoofs disturbed him.
(4) His post in the field was uncomfortable.

4 Who does ‘you’ in the sixth paragraph refer to? [1 mark]

(1) Michael
(2) George
(3) John
(4) the farmer

Answer the questions in complete sentences.

5 Why did John’s brothers laugh at John the next morning? [2 marks]

6 Why did John’s father sell the horse? [2 marks]

TIP!
What did the horse do?

Fill in each blank with ONE word. [7 marks]

7 One day, a farmer found that someone had stolen his (1) . He
asked his sons to catch the (2) . Therefore, his three sons
kept watch in the field. Michael took a (3) with him while
George took along a club and a (4) for their turns at watch.
When it was John’s turn, he only brought a piece of rope and made a ring of
(5) . Finally, John caught the thief successfully because he
did not fall (6) during his watch. The farmer gave money to
him as a (7)

 33 
 28
Text Type Marks:
EXERCISE Information Report /18

Read this information report carefully.

Charity Organisations
Charity organisations are responsible for most
of the help to the poor. Each organisation caters to a
different group of people.

The Red Cross is a well-known organisation that

has centres in countries all over the world. It had its
beginnings in a small Italian town in 1859. A fierce
battle was taking place then, and more than forty thousand people were
wounded. The medical services of the army were inadequate. The situation
horrified a Swiss businessman who then, wrote a book describing the
dreadful situation. His book was the stimulus for the setting up of charity
organisations.

Today, charity organisations imitate the workings of the Red Cross.

They carry out fundraising activities to help uneducated children or victims
of natural disasters. Both the young and old contribute willingly to these
organisations. In fact, if there were no charity organisations, millions of
people around the world would perish because
of poverty or natural disasters.

In India, a compassionate woman started

PUSS (Palli Unnayan Seva Samiti). She has helped
hundreds of children receive a proper education
with the support of social workers and teachers. Without her help, the literacy
rate in India would be much lower than what it is today.

Charity organisations are crucial today. They cannot function without

the benevolent people who run these organisations.

perish (v.) : to die

compassionate (adj.) : showing sympathy for people who are suffering
benevolent (adj.) : kind, helpful, generous
 85 
Choose the best answer and write its number in the boxes.

1 The first centre of the Red Cross was in . [1 mark]

(1) India
(2) Italy
(3) Singapore
(4) Switzerland

2 The Red Cross was first set up to help . [1 mark]

(1) injured soldiers
(2) sick children
(3) children with no education
(4) victims of natural disasters

3 What was the ‘book’ in the second paragraph about? [1 mark]

(1) how the rich can help the poor
(2) sick children
(3) people suffering in a war
(4) different charity organisations

4 Charity organisations obtain their funds through . [1 mark]

(1) donations
(2) victims
(3) the government
(4) the Red Cross

5 According to the passage, India is facing the problem of . [1 mark]

(1) natural disasters
(2) children with no homes
(3) poor and hungry children
(4) large numbers of uneducated children

Are these sentences true (T) or false (F)? Write ‘T’ or ‘F’ in the blanks. [4 marks]

6 PUSS was established by a businessman.

7 Different charity organisations help different groups

of people.

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8 There was a drought in Italy in 1859.

9 Only children are allowed to raise funds for charity 

organisations.

Give short answers.

10 Based on the information report, name four kinds of people that are helped by
charity organisations. [4 marks]

(1) TIP!
Pay attention to the people
(2) mentioned in the whole
information report.
(3)

(4)

11 What does ‘They’ in the last paragraph refer to? [1 mark]

Answer the questions in complete sentences.

12 Why are charity organisations important? [2 marks]

13 Apart from the needy mentioned in the information report, what  [2 marks]
other groups of people need our help?

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 29
Text Type Marks:
EXERCISE Diary Entry /22

Read this diary entry carefully.

Skippy and I
20th March, Tuesday Warm

Dear Diary,

This afternoon, Skippy and I made our way to the shop. Around us,
was awakening once again. The birds were singing and the flowers were
beginning to bloom. I was glad that the cold dreary winter was finally over.

We passed a stall selling hot dogs. The tempting smell of grilled sausages
floated through the air and made my stomach growl. I hurried away from it or
else I would give in to temptation. I tugged at Skippy’s lead and it returned
to my side. Around the corner, we met the friendly Mr Reef and his dog, Max.
It jeered at Skippy for being on a lead. Skippy retaliated by giving Max one
of its fiercest growls. Mr Reef smiled warmly at us and hurriedly apologised
for Max’s behaviour.

When we reached the shop, I secured Skippy to a post outside. It whined

pitifully as I walked off. In the shop, I headed straight for the shelves at the
back and reached for the brown packets that I had to buy for my mother. I
picked up a small yellow packet on my way to the cashier.

Outside, Skippy was up to its usual antics. It must have known. ‘After
lunch,’ I said as I smiled at it. ‘Let’s go. Mother is waiting. I can almost smell
the aroma from the kitchen.’

There was quickness in its step and it pulled at its lead. Laughing, I
began running and Skippy skipped along beside me.

jeer (v.) : to say rude things to someone to show that you do not respect him
retaliate (v.) : to do harm to a person because he has done the same thing to you
antics (n.) : funny, unusual or annoying behaviour

 88 
Give short answers.

1 Why did the writer like spring? Give two reasons for your answer. [2 marks]

(1)

(2)

2 Which sentence from the diary entry tells us that the writer was  [1 mark]
probably feeling hungry?

3 What two things did Skippy do to tell the writer that it wanted to  [2 marks]
go home earlier?

(1)

(2)

Fill in each blank with ONE word. [4 marks]

4 had ended because nature was awakening again.

5 Mr. Reef was a person who smiled warmly at the writer.

6 Skippy when the writer entered the shop.

7 The writer bought from the shop.

Answer the questions in complete sentences.

8 What animal was Skippy? How do you know? [2 marks]

9 Was Skippy angry with Max? Why? [2 marks]

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10 What was probably the small yellow packet that the writer bought? [2 marks]

TIP!
How did Skppy behave when
it saw the yellow packet?

11 What were Skippy and the writer going to do when they reached  [2 marks]
home?

What did the writer see that day? Put the things in the correct order.  [5 marks]
Fill in the blanks with the correct numbers.

12 (1) Mum’s food

(2) Hot dogs
(3) Mr Reef and Max
(4) Brown packets
(5) Birds and flowers

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 90 