Primary 6 PSLE English Comprehension Quiz

Primary 6 PSLE English Quiz - Comprehension

Answer Key

Section A: Comprehension (MCQ) — Passage A

Question 1. (B) She had been afraid of the dark since a frightening experience at age five. [1]

Reasoning: The passage states that a power outage at age five "had trapped her alone in her bedroom for nearly an hour," which caused her lasting fear. Option (A) is not mentioned. Option (C) is incorrect — her parents tried to help her overcome the fear, not enforce it. Option (D) is not supported by the text.

Common mistake: Students may choose (C) if they misread the parents' role as enforcing the night light rather than trying to help her move past her fear.

Question 2. (C) sudden and overwhelming [1]

Reasoning: The simile "like water filling a bowl" conveys something that arrives quickly and completely fills a space. Water pouring into a bowl is sudden and total, which matches how the darkness felt when Lina switched off her night light. Option (A) contradicts the imagery. Option (B) is too literal — the passage is not about temperature. Option (D) contradicts the emotional tone of the moment.

Common mistake: Students may choose (B) by interpreting the simile literally rather than understanding its figurative meaning.

Question 3. (A) "embarrassed" [1]

Reasoning: The passage explicitly states, "Now eleven years old, Lina was embarrassed by her fear." The word "embarrassed" directly indicates shame. "Surprised" describes the mother's reaction later. "Proud" describes the mother's smile. "Ordinary" describes how the darkness eventually felt.

Common mistake: Students may choose (D) "ordinary" because it appears near the end of the passage in a reflective moment, but it does not convey shame.

Question 4. (B) She eventually stopped inviting Lina because Lina kept refusing. [1]

Reasoning: The passage states, "Her best friend, Mei Ting, had stopped asking her along after the third rejection." This directly supports option (B). There is no evidence that Mei Ting was angry (A), afraid of the dark herself (C), or told others about Lina's fear (D).

Common mistake: Students may choose (A) by inferring anger, but the passage does not state Mei Ting's emotional reaction — only that she stopped asking.

Question 5. (B) Overcoming fear requires facing it directly. [1]

Reasoning: The passage follows Lina's journey from being controlled by her fear to deliberately switching off her night light and facing the darkness. Her decision to sign up for camp follows this act of courage. Option (A) is a supporting detail, not the main message. Option (C) is too narrow. Option (D) is a minor detail.

Common mistake: Students may choose (A) because the mother plays an important role, but the central arc is about Lina's personal act of bravery.

Section B: Comprehension (Open-Ended) — Passage B

Question 6. There were one hundred and twelve steps in the lighthouse staircase. [1]

Method: Locate the detail in the second paragraph: "he would climb the spiral staircase — all one hundred and twelve steps."

Question 7. "Decommissioned" means to be taken out of service / officially closed down / no longer used for its original purpose. [1]

Method: Use context clues. The passage says the lighthouse "would be converted into a heritage site" and "its lamp replaced by a small electric light that required no keeper." This indicates it would no longer function as an active lighthouse.

Marking note: Accept any answer that conveys the meaning of being taken out of active service. Award 1 mark for a correct meaning. Award 0 for vague or incorrect answers.

Question 8. Two reasons Pak Harun took his job seriously: [2]

(a) He climbed the staircase every evening and morning without fail for thirty-one years / He never missed a single night in three decades. [1]

(b) He polished the brass fittings and trimmed the wick regularly / He said "A lighthouse that fails is a promise broken to every sailor at sea," showing he felt a deep sense of duty. [1]

Method: Identify details that demonstrate dedication and pride in his work. Award 1 mark for each valid reason, up to 2 marks.

Marking note: Accept any two of the following: his perfect attendance record, his maintenance routine, his statement about promises to sailors, or his continued routine even after learning of decommissioning.

Question 9. Danial watched his grandfather "with concern" because he was worried about his grandfather's wellbeing / he could see that his grandfather was saddened by the lighthouse being decommissioned but was hiding his feelings / he did not fully understand why his grandfather continued the routine even though the lighthouse was closing. [1]

Method: Danial knew the lighthouse was being closed, yet his grandfather continued climbing every night. Danial's concern comes from not understanding his grandfather's actions and possibly sensing his grandfather's quiet sadness.

Marking note: Award 1 mark for any answer that shows understanding of Danial's worry about his grandfather's emotional state or behaviour. Do not award marks for answers that only restate the phrase "with concern" without explanation.

Question 10. Pak Harun means that a lighthouse has a duty to guide sailors safely, and if it stops working, it is as if it has broken a promise to keep them safe. The sailors depend on the lighthouse, so failing to maintain it would put their lives at risk. [2]

Method: Explain the metaphor in the student's own words. The key elements are: (1) the lighthouse serves a vital purpose for sailors, (2) there is an implicit promise of safety, and (3) failing to uphold that duty has serious consequences.

Marking scheme:

• 2 marks: Clear explanation covering the duty of the lighthouse and the idea of a broken promise to sailors.
• 1 mark: Partial explanation — identifies the duty but does not fully explain the "promise" element, or vice versa.
• 0 marks: Irrelevant or no response.

Question 11. Pak Harun likely felt sad and nostalgic / emotional and reluctant to let go on the last night. [2]

Evidence from the passage:

• He whispered "Goodnight, old friend," which shows tenderness and emotional attachment to the lighthouse.
• He had served the lighthouse for thirty-one years without missing a night, showing deep dedication.
• He stood in silence after lighting the lamp for the last time, suggesting he was taking a moment to say goodbye.
• He had taken the news of decommissioning quietly, without arguing, which suggests he was holding in his emotions.

Marking scheme:

• 1 mark for identifying an appropriate emotion (e.g., sad, emotional, nostalgic, proud yet reluctant).
• 1 mark for providing relevant evidence from the passage to support the emotion identified.

Common mistake: Students may state an emotion without supporting it with evidence. Both parts are required for full marks.

Question 12. Pak Harun was saying goodnight to the lighthouse / the lamp. [1]

This tells us that he had a deep emotional connection to the lighthouse — he treated it almost like a living companion or friend after thirty-one years of service. It shows he was not just doing a job; he had formed a bond with the place and felt genuine sadness at leaving it behind. [1]

Method: The phrase "old friend" is personification. Students should identify that the "friend" is the lighthouse or its lamp, and explain what this reveals about Pak Harun's feelings.

Marking scheme:

• 1 mark for correctly identifying the lighthouse/lamp as the "old friend."
• 1 mark for explaining the emotional significance — attachment, bond, sadness at parting.

Section C: Comprehension Cloze — Passage C

Question 13. contains / houses / supports [1]

Reasoning: The sentence needs a verb indicating that the rainforest holds or is home to more than half the world's species. "Contains" is the most natural fit.

Marking note: Accept "contains," "houses," "supports," or "shelters." Do not accept "covers" (used later in the passage for surface area) or "includes" (less precise in this context).

Question 14. heights [1]

Reasoning: The phrase "grow to extraordinary ___" requires a noun related to how tall the trees become. "Heights" fits naturally with "extraordinary" and the following clause about trees reaching over sixty metres.

Marking note: Accept "heights" only. Do not accept "sizes" (too vague) or "lengths" (used for horizontal measurement).

Question 15. remarkable / notable / distinctive / fascinating [1]

Reasoning: The sentence introduces the layered structure as a key feature of the rainforest. An adjective meaning "worthy of attention" or "striking" is needed.

Marking note: Accept "remarkable," "notable," "distinctive," "fascinating," or "impressive." Do not accept "important" (changes the nuance) or "big" (too informal and imprecise).

Question 16. forms / creates / makes [1]

Reasoning: The canopy layer acts as a dense roof. The verb should indicate that the canopy constitutes or creates this roof.

Marking note: Accept "forms," "creates," or "makes." Do not accept "has" (grammatically awkward in context) or "is" (would require restructuring the sentence).

Question 17. greatest / highest / largest / most [1]

Reasoning: The sentence compares the number of species in the canopy layer to other layers. A superlative is needed to show it has the most species.

Marking note: Accept "greatest," "highest," "largest," or "most." Do not accept "bigger" (comparative, not superlative) or "more" (requires "the" and is less natural here).

Question 18. shady / dim / dark / low-light [1]

Reasoning: The understory is beneath the canopy, which blocks sunlight. An adjective describing reduced light conditions is needed.

Marking note: Accept "shady," "dim," "dark," or "low-light." Do not accept "cold" (not supported by the passage) or "wet" (not the focus of this sentence).

Question 19. teeming / swarming / alive / crawling [1]

Reasoning: The forest floor has many insects and fungi. A word meaning "full of" or "abundant with" is needed. "Teeming with" is a common collocation.

Marking note: Accept "teeming," "swarming," "alive," or "crawling." Do not accept "filled" (less precise collocation) or "covered" (would pair with "in" rather than "with").

Question 20. rate / pace / speed [1]

Reasoning: The phrase "at an alarming ___" requires a noun that collocates with "alarming" to describe how fast deforestation is happening. "Rate" is the most common collocation.

Marking note: Accept "rate," "pace," or "speed." Do not accept "level" (does not collocate naturally with "alarming" in this context) or "time" (incorrect meaning).

Summary of Marks

Note: The quiz totals 28 marks. Questions 8, 10, and 11 are worth 2 marks each, reflecting the higher reasoning and explanation demands of those items.