Secondary 3 English Semestral Assessment 2 (End of Year) Paper 3

TuitionGoWhere Exam Practice (AI) — SA2 Practice Paper

English Secondary 3 — Comprehension (Version 3 of 5)

School: TuitionGoWhere Secondary School (AI)
Subject: English
Level: Secondary 3
Paper: SA2 Practice Paper — Comprehension
Version: 3
Duration: 1 hour 50 minutes
Total Marks: 40
Name: ___________________________
Class: ____________
Date: ____________

Instructions

• This paper contains 20 questions across three sections.
• Read all passages carefully before answering.
• Write your answers in the spaces provided.
• Use your own words where instructed.
• Section marks and question marks add up to 40.

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Passage A (for Questions 1–7)

The old lighthouse on Caven Point had stood for over a century. When Mira first arrived as the new keeper, she was "full of resolution but she had little hope" (line 4). The previous keeper had left after a storm destroyed the eastern walkway. According to Paragraph 2, the wild ponies that grazed near the cliff were sold off at the auction and then taken away by truck to a farm inland. Mira took a great interest in the migrating seabirds, noting their patterns each dawn. She often said the lighthouse "was a bone of the headland, white and stubborn against the grey" (line 12).

Section A: Literal Understanding (Questions 1–7) [14 marks]

1. According to Paragraph 2, what would happen to the wild ponies after they were sold off at the auction? [1 mark]

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2. Whom did Mira have a great interest in, based on Passage A? [1 mark]

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3. What does the phrase "full of resolution but she had little hope" (line 4) tell us about Mira's state of mind? [1 mark]

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4. What do you think the italicised word "she" in line 4 refers to? [1 mark]

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5. What does the sentence "The previous keeper had left after a storm destroyed the eastern walkway" tell us about the previous keeper's attitude towards the lighthouse? [1 mark]

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6. According to Passage A, how long had the lighthouse stood? [1 mark]

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7. What does the word "stubborn" suggest about the lighthouse in line 12? [1 mark]

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Passage B (for Questions 8–14)

The market was chaos. Vendors shouted over one another, and the air "smelled of pepper and rain" (line 3). Tomas, a boy of nine, darted between the stalls. His mother had told him to stay close, but he was drawn to the music box stall. The music box played a tune that was "thin and silver, like a voice from another country" (line 7). When the rain came, the crowd scattered. Tomas felt a "small, bright fear" (line 9) as he realised he was alone.

Section B: Language Use & Inference (Questions 8–14) [14 marks]

8. What does the phrase "smelled of pepper and rain" (line 3) suggest about the market setting? [1 mark]

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9. Explain in your own words why Tomas was described as having a "small, bright fear" (line 9). [2 marks]

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10. What does the italicised word "he" in line 9 refer to? [1 mark]

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11. What does the description of the music as "thin and silver, like a voice from another country" (line 7) reveal about Tomas's experience? [1 mark]

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12. According to Passage B, what did Tomas's mother tell him to do? [1 mark]

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13. How does the language used in Passage B convey that the market was energetic? Support your ideas with three details. [3 marks]

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14. What does the sentence "The music box played a tune that was thin and silver" tell us about the music box's effect on Tomas? [1 mark]

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Passage C (for Questions 15–20)

The river had receded, leaving a strip of black mud. Engineers surveyed the bank with drones. A chart showed water levels dropping by 2 cm weekly.

Generated chart for Q15.

Section C: Data Interpretation & Mixed (Questions 15–20) [12 marks]

15. According to the chart in Q15-fig1, by how many cm did the water level drop from Week 1 to Week 6? [1 mark]

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16. What does the phrase "a strip of black mud" suggest about the riverbank after recession? [1 mark]

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17. Explain in your own words why the engineers used drones to survey the bank. [2 marks]

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18. What do you think the italicised word "it" in "leaving it exposed" (assume line 2) refers to? [1 mark]

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19. How does the language in Passage C convey a sense of scientific observation? Support with three details. [3 marks]

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20. According to Passage C and the chart, what is one consequence of the river receding? [1 mark]

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End of Paper — Total Marks: 40