english first language specimen questions for reading … · english first language specimen...

English First Language

Specimen Questions for Reading and

Directed Writing

Grade 7

Section A

Specimen question 1

Study the advertisement below and answer the questions that follow.

1.1 What is the purpose of the advertisement?

To persuade people to buy (more) megabytes (from MTC).

1.2 Who is the specific target market? Give two reasons for your answer.

Young people. Reasons: the (trendy) young man; the pictures of things used by

young people (e.g. headset, twitter icon); the large letters; the way the letters are

written (informal, like graffiti), the words “Megabyte Mania” (any two)

1.3 Mention two aspects of the advertisement that are aimed at persuading the

target market to buy the product.

The cheap price

The way the price is written/drawn – largest image on the page

The mention of a limited time to buy at that price

The pictures of all the things they can do with extra megabytes (any two).

1.4 Explain the meaning of ‘Get online’.

Use/connect to the internet.

1.5 What is the slogan?

Make the connection.

These questions test the following specific objectives for learners' reading skills:

Describe the purpose, audience, register and context of a text.

Identify and comment on the use of language, simple literary devices, graphic

features and other obvious techniques to create particular effects in

multimodal or visual texts.

Extract general and specific information on literal and informational level.

Assess the credibility and emotional impact of a text, and describe the

techniques authors use to achieve this impact.

Specimen question 2

The following poem describes one of the dangers faced by sailors. Carefully read

through it and answer the questions that follow.

Answer in full sentences, unless indicated otherwise.

2.1 What are the two biggest dangers that the fog causes for the sailors?

Not being able to see the sun or stars, which they need to navigate/ not being able to

know in which direction they are going

Not being able to see other ships / the danger of colliding with other ships

2.3 Which word pictures create a ghostly, scary atmosphere? Give two examples

of such images/word pictures, and quote two phrases for each of the

examples that illustrate each image.

If this is too difficult, give one example, e.g. Image: death. Phrases: "bells tolled"; "as

in a tomb"; "playing a game …with Death".

(1) Word picture/image: ghosts. Phrases: "lost souls wailing"; "shrouded in mist";

" went groaning by"

(2) Word picture/image: monsters/scary or ghostly creatures. Phrases: "foul

creature"; "streaming tentacles"; " took clammy hold"; "crept round and over us".

(Any other suitable images and examples can be accepted, e.g. for the work picture

of madmen: "sirens shrieked"; "mad bells tolled")

OR

2.3 Quote two phrases that create word pictures of each of the following:

E.g. death/funeral ….. " in a tomb" "bells tolled"

2.3.1 ghosts…………………………………………………………………………

2.3.2 monsters………………………………………………………………………

(Or any other image the teacher would like to select.)

2.4 What effect does the fog have on the sailors’ impression of time?

It feels never-ending/they lose track of time/ they don’t know whether it is day or

night

2.5 Find a word in the poem that refers to a place where sheep are kept for

safety. (the teacher can choose any word/words from the poem they want

their learners to identify, e.g. tentacles, tomb, blotted.)

Fold

2.6 Explain the last line of the poem.

The sailors cannot see where they are going, just like children in the game Blind-

Man's Buff who are being blindfolded, but for the sailors it is dangerous, and they

can die if they get lost or stranded or collide with an iceberg. (Or any answer that

clearly explains the comparison between the game and the sailors, and why the

game is played with Death.








Know and use reading comprehension strategies to and text organisational

features to process meaning.

Quote several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text

says explicitly and implicitly.

Specimen question 3

Study the following football log of the schools competing in the U/17 regional league.

Use the football log above to write a short report for your school newspaper, giving

only the results of the regional football league. You will have to calculate the missing

total scores for Flamingo High and Seaview Academy to write the report. (6)

Mark as follows:

Content (3):

√ Atlantic Secondary won all 3 their games, total of 6.

√ Seaview Academy & Welwitchia High School scored 3 points each, Flamingo SS

scored 2 points

√ Union College lost both games they played, scored no points.

Language (3):

3 = excellent, almost no errors

2 = some minor errors

1 = many or serious errors

This question tests the following specific objectives for learners' reading skills:


Interpret and analyse the information given in a variety of graphical texts and

reproduce the information in another form.

Know and use reading comprehension strategies and text organisational


Specimen question 4

Read the following argumentative text and answer the questions that follow:

1. The film Free Willy was a very effective way of highlighting the plight of a

captive killer whale (or orca). People were rightly concerned that such creatures

should not be kept in captivity, and this concern became reality when ₤7.5 million

was raised from the public in order to release the orca star of the film, Keiko, back

into the Atlantic.

2. It makes a lovely story, of course. But, just think of it: ₤7.5 million to return one

animal into the wild. The animal lovers who sent their money could have used it to

far greater effect. For example, it could have secured the turtles and seabirds of a

marine reserve in Tanzania, or it could have stopped the decline of the bullfinch in

this country.

3. Even if they just wanted to use the money for whales, it could have helped the

campaign to restrict (or even stop) commercial whaling. Would those who sent their

money for Keiko’s release be happy if he swam free but alone in the vastness of the

Atlantic?

4. But there are causes beyond that of animal welfare. A very good example is

the campaign to save the sight of people in the developing world by funding simple

operations. ₤7.5 million would have helped thousands of such people.

5. The sentimentality that leads people to spend ₤7.5 million on saving a single

animal is misplaced.

6. It is obvious that future projects which raise this sort of money should be

spent in ways that improve the welfare of as many animals (or people) as possible.

(An extract from Critical Thinking: An Introduction by Alex Fisher, p.186. Cambridge

University Press 2001.)

4.1 What was the writer’s main intention/purpose when writing this text? Choose

the correct answer:

To persuade people that

a) there are better ways of spending donations than helping animals

b) funds should not be spent on saving only one type of animal

c) large donations should be used to have the greatest effect possible

d) all of the above-mentioned

4.2 Why is Free Willy written in italics?

It is the title of the movie.

4.3 Quote a phrase or sentence from the text that gives the following:

4.3.1 an opinion

E.g. "The animal lovers who sent their money could have used it to far greater

effect."

4.3.2 a fact

E.g. "…₤7.5 million was raised from the public…"

4.3.3 the conclusion

"…future projects which raise this sort of money should be spent in ways that

improve the welfare of as many animals (or people) as possible."

4.4 Paraphrase (rewrite more simply in your own words) the summary of the

arguments in paragraph 5 (“The sentimentality that leads people to spend

₤7.5 million on saving a single animal is misplaced.”)

People overreacted by donating huge amounts of money because they felt sorry for

the whale – it was an exaggerated emotional reaction, and out of place/ showed bad

judgement/was illogical.

4.5 Do you think the writer's point of view is valid? Give a reason for your answer

by referring to the text.

Yes. The examples that he gives of what could have been done with the money are

all reasonable/ logical. (Accept any valid answer that has been proved by referring to

the text.)

4.6 The writer uses emotive language to convince his readers. Quote two

examples (it can be a word, phrase or sentence) of such emotive language.

"the plight of"; "concern", "a lovely story", "animal lovers"; "secured"; "The

sentimentality…is misplaced"; "if he swam free but alone in the vastness of the

Atlantic"; "improve the welfare of".

4.7 The word ‘plight’ (line1) in this context means

a) captivity

b) unfavourable situation

c) condition

d) risky promise

4.8 Explain the meaning of:

4.8.1 decline

4.8.2 a marine reserve

4.9 In par. 2 the writer refers to ‘this country’. Which country is that? Give a

reason for your answer.

England/Britain. The currency is ₤ (does not matter how they put it, as long as they

recognise that the ₤ means it is in England/Britain.

4.10 Why could it happen that Keiko might be ‘free but alone’ after he had been

released?

Commercial whaling can cause the extinction of whales.

4.11 Why did the film Free Willy result in people giving huge donations to save

Keiko.

They felt sorry for Willy/ the whale after they had seen the movie/ The story of the

movie made it clear how bad it was for Willy to live in captivity.

4.12 In the last paragraph, the writer refers to ‘this sort of money’. In this context,

the phrase refers to

a) this ₤7.5 million raised for Keiko

b) exceptionally large amounts of money

c) all funds raised for projects

d) money from this country










Quote several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text

says explicitly and implicitly.




Interpret abstract and concrete ideas in a wide variety of slightly challenging

written and multimodal texts.

Paraphrase, make notes or summarise the main ideas and/or key details in a

text.

Trace and evaluate the argument(s) and specific claims in an age-appropriate

argumentative text, and assess whether the reasoning is sound and the

evidence is accurate, relevant and sufficient to support the claims.

Specimen question 5

Read through the two texts below, and answer the questions that follow.

ADAPTED FROM ECONOMIC NEWS | 2005-03-09

Botswana elephants hit Namibian crops

PETER APPS

KATIMA MULILO - Botswana's rapidly increasing elephant population is increasingly thundering across the border into neighbouring Namibia and causing havoc, an environmental development group says.

A crackdown on poaching to boost tourism and years without culling and disease has allowed Botswana's elephant population to swell to over 100 000. "It's an enormous problem - they're damaging the environment and it's a social problem because they trample crops and people are scared of them," said conservationist Richard Diggle from the Integrated Rural Development and Nature Conservation programme. They destroy crops, stop children going to school and even trample some, Diggle told Reuters.

*culling: killing a certain number of elephants to keep their numbers down

How the elephant got his trunk by Harry - aged 8

St. Ives England

Once upon a time, there was a sad elephant. He was dirty and stinky, because he could not reach behind him to wash his back. The other animals didn’t play with him because he was smelly.

Elephant sat under a tree, where nobody could see him. He started to cry. He sat and cried for days. One day, when his tears had dried up, he wanted to scratch his head and he felt something bump on his back. Then he noticed his nose had stretched because it had got wet with all the crying and it was now a long trunk which had hit him on his back.

He went to the river and put his trunk in the water and sucked the water up. Then he sprayed his back with water. All the other animals came over to him and said, “You are so clean and smell so lovely. Do you want to play with us?”

The elephant was so happy and said, “Yes.”

The End.

5.1 Use the table provided to make notes, comparing the two texts with regard to

audience, purpose, register, language use, text structure and content. Provide a

reason/motivation and example where necessary.

Type and function of text

Botswana

elephants hit

Namibian crops

newspaper article - to inform

How the elephant

got his trunk

children’s story - to entertain

Register and language use

Botswana

elephants hit

Namibian crops

Register = formal

Language use (any two of those below):

quotes sources

language chosen to interest people

only newsworthy facts

objective

How the elephant

got his trunk

register = informal

Language use:

use of direct speech

emotive language

Text structure

Botswana

elephants hit

Namibian crops

heading

subheading

summary of story

detail

How the elephant

got his trunk introduction

chronological order

conflict and resolution

main character

Give an additional 2 marks for the correct form (if the learners correctly wrote

notes), and give 0 if they wrote in full sentences or too long phrases.

5.2 Write down two causes and their effects from the first text, Botswana

elephants hit Namibian crops.

5.2.1 Cause…Botswana’s elephant numbers rapidly increasing

Effect…they cross the Namibian border and cause havoc

5.2.2 Cause….crackdown on poaching, no culling for years and no diseases

Effect…elephant population swells to over 100 000


Analyse the difference in structure, organisation and purpose of various

categories of informational texts.

Analyse texts that use a cause-and-effect organisational pattern.




Specimen question 6 (These texts are too long to use in an exam paper – for an exam question two short texts on the same topic can be used for such a question.)

Read text the following texts and use ONLY the information in the text to make a summary of the following.

1. How people use animals. 2. How this affects the animals. 3. What the alternatives/solutions offered in the texts are.

Text 1. Protest over Big Trop animal acts Campaigners calling for an end to the use of animals in circus shows have staged a demonstration in north London. The Captive Animal Protective Society (CAPS) want the public to boycott Zippo’s Circus during its week-long stint at Brent Cross Shopping Centre. Horses, dogs and birds feature in acts, making Zippo’s one of seven circuses in the UK to still use animals, according to a society spokesman. A spokesman from Zippo’s Circus said he did not wish to comment. CAPS claims that life on the road, confinement and performances cause the creatures physical and mental problems. One of the campaigners said, “In the 21st century we should no longer be making animals perform tricks for entertainment. There are many excellent all-human circuses where the public can have family entertainment that does not rely on the outdated practice of using animals.” Adapted from the BBC News website.

Text 2 Call for wild animals circus ban Two leading animal welfare charities are calling for the Government to ban the use of wild animals in circuses. The RSPCA and Born Free Foundation want the ban included in the Animal Welfare Bill which is currently being talked about in Parliament. Retirement with dignity The organisations say seven tigers, five lions, an Asian elephant, an American black bear, eight camels and three zebras are among the animals still kept in three UK circuses. They say some wild animals kept by circuses barely have room to turn around in their cages. The RSPCA adds that the animals’ lack of privacy and the high noise levels are also completely against what they would experience in the wild. The Animals Welfare Bill, which was debated in the Commons last week, includes harsher fines of up to £20,000 and jail terms of up to 51 weeks for animal cruelty. One animal rights’ campaigner told BBC News, “We feel that wild animals kept in British circuses should be cared for in decent retirement homes and no longer be asked to perform stupid tricks for the rest of their lives.” Adapted from the BBC News website.

Text 3 Every year in the European Union, around 1.5 million animal are used in experiments to test vaccines for both humans and animals. These are used to protect millions of people every year against deadly diseases such as tetanus, tuberculosis, polio and diphtheria. Pets and farm animals are also vaccinated against serious diseases like canine distemper and rabies. The vaccines therefore help look after the health of humans and animals. However, the tests that are needed for each new batch of vaccines before it can be used can cause a lot of suffering to the animals involved. Organisations like the RSPCA say that new ways of testing these medicines should be found, so that no more animals have to suffer.

Text 4 (on the next page)

Text 4

The texts, except text 4, were copied from English Now 2, Oxford University Press, ISBN 9780198325536. The authors are J Crewe, J Kneen and J Waines. Text 4 was copied from English in Context Grade 7, Maskew Mille Longmann, ISBN 9780636064256, and the authors are JO Hendry, HM gardyne and JE Tiffin.

Mark as follows: 10 marks for contents, 10 marks for language. Contents 1. Animals are used to

Test vaccines

Study animal behaviour

Entertain people in circuses 2. It affects them as follows:

Staying in cages and travelling causes them physical stress and mental problems.

They do not have privacy, hardly any space to move in the cages, and it is very noisy. This is very different from their natural environment.

They get bored in the cages because they have nothing to do.

They might get diseases.

Testing vaccines on them can cause a lot of suffering for the animals. 3. The alternatives are:

To find new ways of testing medicines that do not involve animals.

To release animals back into the wild.

To care for circus animals in retirement homes and not let them do tricks anymore.

To use only human beings in circuses to entertain families. Language The summary MUST be written in a paragraph, and NOT separate sentences or in bullet or note form!!! 9-10: Mostly own words, fluent, hardly any errors, one paragraph, and facts are in

the correct order (Starting with number 1, then 2, then 3). Words used from texts not misspelt.

7-8: Good effort, copied words or phrases, but not clauses or full sentences,

grammar errors are not serious, written in one paragraph and facts mostly in correct order (might have put a point that belonged to number 2 after they have already started answering number 3). Only one or two misspelt words copied from texts.

5-6: Average effort, but many words/phrases/ clauses/sentences copied from texts,

many grammar and spelling errors, mixed up the answers to number 1, 2 and 3, but not so that the summary is confusing.

3-4: Poor effort, mostly copying, facts not ordered, in places confusing, shows lack of

insight in what to summarise. Used separate sentences instead of a paragraph. 1-2: Not a summary – used note form, or phrases, or everything copied, shows very

little or no insight or understanding of texts or question, or grammar, syntax and spelling errors so numerous that they cause confusion.

This question tests the following specific objectives for learners' reading skills:


Interpret and analyse the information given in a variety of graphical texts and

reproduce the information in another form.

Know and use reading comprehension strategies and text organisational


Analyse and compare two texts on the same topic or event.

Paraphrase, make notes of or summarise the main ideas and/or key details in

a text.

Collate short pieces of information from several sources and summarise them.

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