Section A: Grammar MCQ (10 marks)

Circle the correct option (a) – (d).

1. Mr Tan, together with his children _____________ the number of plastic bottles they
have collected for recycling now.

a. count
b. counting
c. is counting
d. are counting

2. The wasteful baker would rather throw away the leftovers than _____________ them
to the orphanage nearby.

a. donate
b. donates
c. donated
d. donating

3. Katy was cycling so fast that we could hardly keep _____________ with her.

a. up
b. off
c. out
d. away

4. Mrs Chan has ____________ time for her children as she is always busy at work.

a. little
b. some
c. much
d. a lot of
5. Wenjie received so _____________ presents on her birthday that the whole table was
full.

a. few
b. little
c. many
d. much

6. “Pay attention. The group leaders _____________ how to conduct the experiment
now,” whispered Jane to her friend.

a. explain
b. explained
c. are explaining
d. have explained

7. _____________ books stacked up in that corner are old and dusty.

a. This
b. That
c. These
d. Those

8. They _____________ basketball for the past hour.

a. play
b. plays
c. has been playing
d. have been playing
9. Coffee _____________ currently the second-most traded commodity in the world,
second only to crude oil.

a. is
b. are
c. was
d. were

10. “Could Mabel _______________ the dishes?” Mrs Lim wondered when she saw the
neatly stacked plates on the rack.

a. washed
b. has washed
c. had washed
d. have washed

Section B: Vocabulary MCQ (5 marks)

Circle the correct option (a) – (d).

11. The houses in the city were destroyed by the _______________ earthquake, which
wreaked havoc in the area.

a. fiery
b. bizarre
c. chaotic
d. devastating

12. This is a _____________ story. I think I have heard it before.

a. routine
b. familiar
 c. common
d. well-known

13. Daniel is so ________________about football that he always has a game with his
classmates after school every day.

a. faithful
b. devoted
c. attached
d. enthusiastic

14. The culprit was warned not to _____________ any important information from the
police.

a. deter
b. control
c. disallow
d. withhold

15. After much pleading, Mother finally______________ and agreed to let me go on the
camping trip to Malaysia with my classmates.

a. resisted
b. relented
c. permitted
d. surrendered
Section C: Vocabulary Cloze (5 marks)
Circle the correct option (a) – (d).

The rain had stopped, so Tom and I continued climbing towards the summit. We
had been trekking for several kilometres and were overcome with (16) fatigue. However,
we pressed on. When we finally reached the top, we were (17) filled with joy. Tom
suggested having an overnight camp up there. It was (18) an impromptu idea and I was
against it. I wanted us to eat our rations, hydrate ourselves, then make our way down
before it grew dark. After a heated argument, we went down the hill in silence. I was (19)
given the cold shoulder by Tom throughout our trek downhill.
When we reached the foot of the hill, we decided not to let our (20) emotions get
the better of us. We made up and started talking again, congratulating each other for our
accomplishment.

16.
a. starvation
b. exhaustion
c. dehydration
d. perspiration

17.
a. awed
b. bewildered
c. exhilarated
d. dumbfounded

18.
a. a brief
b. a thrilling
c. an interesting
 d. an unplanned
19.
a. ignored
b. rejected
c. despised
d. abandoned
20.
a. ideas
b. feelings
c. reasons
d. opinions
Section D: Comprehension MCQ (8 marks)
Circle the correct option (a) – (d)

GUIDE DOGS FOR THE BLIND AND

VISUALLY-IMPAIRED PEOPLE
by
SUNGAPORE GUIDE DOG ASSOCIATION

Who We Are?
OUR VISION

An inclusive society where every blind and visually-impaired person

is empowered for independent living.

OUR MISSION

We are dedicated to help the blind and visually-impaired person to

achieve their fullest potential within the society.

Do You Know That …

 Guide dogs are legally permitted to travel on all public transport.

 They are also allowed to enter food establishments including halal

restaurants.

 Most guide dogs are Labradors or Golden Retrievers, because of their

mild temperament and eagerness to work.
  A guide dog needs to focus on its job so we should not distract it
when it is on duty.

BE PART OF A LIFE-CHANGING FORCE …

Join us in empowering people with vision loss to live fulfilling and independent lives!
Your donation will help us continue with our valuable work

By cheque:
Payable to “Singapore Guide Dog Association”. Please indicate your name, NRIC, contact
number and email address on the back if you wish to receive a tax deduction.

Mail cheque to:

Singapore Guide Dog Association
P.O. Box 024
Tanglin Post Office
Singapore 367678

INSPIRING STORIES…

Lisa:

She is a professional counsellor and mother. Losing her

sight threatened her world until she received help and
support from the Guide Dog Association.

“I couldn’t walk my two infant sons to their childcare as

I had to cross busy streets. Even my home posed risks.
I remember pouring a cup of tea, not realising that it was overflowing. I
constantly bumped into things. I felt very alone and isolated.”
As a child, Lisa had difficulty seeing in low light and at night. As an adult,
her condition got worse and she had to have an eye operation. She now
has less than 1% vision. Determined to continue living life as she wanted,
Lisa contacted the Guide Dog Association for support and she soon
regained her mobility and independence.

As Lisa learnt to use a computer screen reading software, a Guide Dog

Association Specialist taught her how to use a long cane. “ Knowing how
to use a cane had a huge impact on my life. It meant the
difference between leaving the house and not leaving the house.
It makes you independent.” Soon after, Lisa received her first guide
dog and that gave her more confidence to travel around.

After graduating from her Masters in Counselling, Lisa opened her own
practice. Her guide dog, Sasha, sits next to her during her counselling
sessions.

Andy:
He is a talented musician and a finalist on
Australia’s Got Talent. His guide dog, Sydney,
helps him travel safely and confidently to new
places.

Andy’s talents are in high demand with a full schedule of performances at

concert halls around the world and Sydney is always by his side. “ Sydney
enables me to do so much more than I could with a cane, such as
carrying music gear and travel confidently to new places ,” Andy
said. “I always thought that it would be difficult to put so much trust in an
animal but receiving Sydney completely changed that. Sydney was so
confident and knew what to do straightaway when I first got him. It was
truly liberating.”

CONTACT US
If you wish to find out more about guide dogs, please contact us.
Tel: +65 6789 9700
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.guidedig.org.sg
Address: 12 Winchester Road, Singapore 123456
21. What is the main purpose of the brochure?

a. To get people to buy a guide dog.

b. To educate the public about the legal rights of a guide dog.
c. To get people to donate to the blind and visually-impaired people.
d. To inform the public about the work of the Guide Dog Association.

22. According to the Singapore Guide Dog Association, their vision is to

_______________.

a. support the blind and visually-impaired by raising funds

b. provide guide dogs to assist all the blind and visually-impaired
c. include all the blind and visually-impaired in the training of guide dogs
d. enable the blind and visually-impaired to lead unrestricted independent
lives

23. Which of the following is not true?

a. Guide dogs are allowed to travel on the MRT, buses and taxis
b. Guide dogs are permitted to enter all cafes, restaurants and eateries
c. Dogs are chosen as guide dogs for their gentleness, diligence and
perseverance
d. Children are encouraged to be friendly and pet the guide dogs when they
are walking in the malls with their owners.

24. Lisa felt “very alone and isolated” because _______________.

a. she had to use a long cane

b. she could not do normal day-to-day activities
c. she had to do her Masters in Counselling all on her own
d. she could only read with a computer screen reading software

25. Why did Andy say “it was truly liberating”?

 a. He was a finalist in “Australia’s Got Talent”.
b. The use of a cane helped him to travel safely and confidently.
c. He did not have to worry about travelling to new places with Sydney.
d. His schedule started to fill up with performances all around the world.

26. The main difference between using a cane and a guide dog is that the guide dog
gives the blind and visually impaired ______________ in their mobility.

a. confidence
b. coordination
c. responsibility
d. determination

27. A member of the public would like to donate to the Singapore Guide Dog
Association. Where should he send his donation to?

a. www.guidedog.org.sg
b. [email protected]
c. 12 Winchester Road, Singapore 123456
d. P.O.Box 024, Tanglin Post Office, Singapore 367678

28. Some of the sentences under “Inspiring Stories” were in bold to highlight how
_____________.

a. Lisa and Andy have been able to leave the house and travel independently
b. the use of a cane enabled Lisa and Andy to travel confidently to new places
c. the guide dogs work tirelessly all the time every day to support Lisa and
Andy
d. the guide dogs have been responsible in providing independence to both
Lisa and Andy
Section E: Grammar Cloze (10 marks)
Fill in the blanks with a correct word from the box.

(A) also (D) besides (G) from (K) is (N) which

(B) although (E) by (H) has (L) of (P) with
(C) are (F) during (J) have (M) where (Q) without

The calcium content of our bones changes as we grow older. (29) ___________

the first year, a child’s bones (30) ___________ little calcium and great flexibility. A child

can perform all kinds of contortions (31) ___________ breaking any bones. In fact, (32)

___________ the time a person is eighty, his or her bones may be made up of 80%

calcium but may break easily.

One of the reasons young children are encouraged to drink milk (33)

___________ that milk is the ideal calcium-containing food. Of course, young bodies

(34) ___________ need different sources of calcium for their bones. (35) ___________

milk, other great sources of calcium include cheese, soya milk and yogurt.

In some countries (36) ___________ calcium-rich food is scarce, calcium

deficiency may affect the people living there. The people living in those countries will
usually develop problems (37) ___________ their teeth and also suffer (38)

___________ bone fractures. As such, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has started

an initiative to provide calcium supplements for these countries

Adapted from www.britannica.com/science/calcium-deficiency

Section F: Editing (10 marks)

Each of the underlined words contains either a spelling or grammatical
error. Write the correct word in each of the boxes.

One of the mnost popular films in the cinemas this year is “Wonder Woman”.
(39) (40)

You might think the story is completely based in fiction but it is ingspiyered by the

legends from Greece. The Greeks told many stories about how famous heroes like

Hercules fought against Amazon warrior women.

(41)

Did the Amazons really exists? A university professor Adrienne Mayor said they

did, but not in the way the Greeks had portrayed them. She said that they were not an
(42)

all-female society, but one in where men and women had very similar roles. “Women
fought, hunted, rode horses, used bows and arrows, just like the men,” she explained in

an interview with National Geographic.

She bileeved that the Amazons were, in fact, a large tribe who lived around Iran
(44) (45)

between 900 to 100 BC. They were nomadic, which means that they did not live from
(46)

one fixed location, but moved their homes whenever they needed to. When the
(47)

knowledjebel archaeologists opened the tombs of these people, they asjuummed that
(48)

any body that was buried with weapons must have be a man. However, when they did
(49)

DNA tests on their skeletons, to their serprize, they found that many were women.

The truth is women warriors were quite common in history. If you do research,

(50)

you would discover that women were also invaalfed in wars too as soldiers,

commanders, spies, weapon makers, cooks or nurses. There were even Singaporean

women who fought in World War Two, such as the 66-year-old volunteer soldier, Cheng

Seang Ho.
Adapted from “Woman warriors are not just fiction” by Ng Yi-Sheng, What’s Up, August

Issue

Section G: Comprehension Cloze (15 marks)

Fill in the blanks with a suitable word using the contextual clues available.

Dung beetles are one of the most useful but least appreciated animals. Found

worldwide on every continent except Antarctica, (51) _______________ brilliant bugs

live in habitats ranging from dry deserts (52) ________________ lush forests. They clean

up our environment by feeding on the dung produced by other animals.

The dung beetle lays eggs in the dung which also (53) ________________ as a

source of food for the larvae when they hatch. It not for these insects, many of us would

be living among (54) _______________ piles and be swarmed with flies!

There are three main types of dung beetles – rollers, tunnellers and dwellers –

each (55) ______________ after the way these beetles use the dung they find. Rollers

shape into (56) _______________ and roll them away from the pile. Tunnellers dive into

the dung pile, usually working in a ‘male-female’ pair, and dig a (57) _______________

beneath it. Dwellers, on the other (58) _______________ , simply exist in the dung pile.
 So why would an insect eat dung? When an animal such as an elephant munches

on some tasty grub, there are always parts of the food that pass (59) _______________

its body undigested, and end up in its dung. It is these nutritious bits of digested food

that dung beetles (60) ________________ on.

At a (61) ________________ of about three centimetres, these cool insects may

be small, but boy are they mighty! In fact, in relation to its size, the dung beetle is the

world’s strongest insect! When moving balls of dung, a roller can pull a whooping 1,141

times its own weight – that is the same as a human dragging six full double-decker buses

(62) _______________ almost 72 000 kilogrammes along a road! Male dung beetles also

use their colossal strength to (63) _______________ , locking horns to push and pull

rivals out of their way when they grapple (64) _______________ a female’s attention.

Dung beetles are one of the few groups of insects that exhibit (65)

________________ for their young. In certain species, both parents share child care

duties to come degree and even work together to dig their nests.

It is not surprising then that dung beetle behaviour has fascinated humans for

thousands of years.
Adapted from http://www.natgeokids.com/nz/discover/animals/insects/dung-beetle-

facts/

Section H: Synthesis and Transformation (10 marks)

Rewrite the given sentences(s) using the word(s) provided. The meaning
of your sentence must be the same as the meaning of the given
sentence(s).

66. “You are to meet me at the patio during recess today,” Mr Tan reminded us.

Mr Tan_________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

67. We were disappointed. He did not turn up for the interview.

Much to ___________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

68. Both Greg and Paul are not avid readers.

____________________________________ nor ______________________

__________________________________________________________________

69. “Guess who I saw at the party last night?” Maria asked her friends.

Maria asked her friends to ______________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________
 70. In managing his workers’ complains, the employer showed his kindness.

The way the employer _____________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

Section I: Comprehension Open-ended (20 marks)

Read the passage and answer all questions carefully.

(1) My earliest memories involve sitting with Father in his study every night when
he came home from the office. I would watch him put his personal items away: his watch,
wallet, comb and car keys. These would always occupy the same spot on the table every
time.

(2) Father’s comb was jade green. Every night, he would hand me the comb and
say, “Be a good girl and help Father clean it, okay?”

(3) I was more than happy to do it. At age five, this mundane task brought me such
joy. I would excitedly turn the tap on, then brush the comb with a used toothbrush as hard
as I could. Satisfied, I would proudly return the comb to Father. He would smile at me,
and place the comb on top of his wallet.

(4) About two years later, Father left his sales job and started his own business. I
start school. Father’s business was not doing so well, and our stable life started getting
shaky. He did not come home as much as he used to. When he did, it was always late and
I would already be in bed. Why did he not listen to Mother’s advice and just stick to his
old job? I eventually stopped waiting for him to come home.
 (5) Today, I am no longer a child. I have graduated from college and got a job.
Father’s business has also started to get back on track. Things are better now. Yet the
awkwardness between Father and me has persisted for a while.

(6) Last week, Father came home early one evening. I helped him carry his bags
into his study. When I turned to leave, he said, “Hey, would you like to help me clean my
comb?” I looked at him awhile, then took the comb and headed to the sink.

(7) It was a new comb. This one was brown. I had not noticed that he had changed
it. I punched a few drops of soap from the dispenser onto an old toothbrush, and I
brushed the comb.

(8) It hit me then: why, as a child, helping Father clean his comb was such a joy.
That routine signified family bonding time. It meant that Father was home early to spend
the evening with Mother and me. I had never seen it in that way before.

(9) I passed the clean comb back to Father. He looked at it and smiled. However,
this time, I noticed Father had aged. He had wrinkles next to his mouth when he smiled,
yet it was still as heartwarming as before. It was a smile of a father who had worked hard
to give his family a good life.

Adapted from http://www.rdasia.com/true-stories-lifestyle/reader-stories/my-story-

evenings-with-dad

71. List two of the writer’s earliest memories with her father. (2m)

First memory:______________________________________________________

Second memory: ___________________________________________________

72. Which four-word phrase in paragraph 1 suggests that the writer’s father had
specific positions for his personal items? (1m)

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________

73. Which two of the following words best describe how the writer felt in lines 13-15?
Put a tick in the correct boxes. [2m]

puzzled

upset

curious

angry

regret

exhausted

74. Fill in the blanks with words from paragraphs 3 to 5 that have the same meanings
as the following words. (3m)

boring

unsteady

uncomfortable

75. Write 1, 2 and 3 in the blanks below to indicate the order in which the events
occurred in the story. (1m)

_____________________ The writer’s father would often not come home from
work.
 _____________________ The writer graduated from college.

_____________________ The writer helped her father clean his green comb.

76. Based on the story, state whether each statement in the table below is true or false,
then give one reason why you think so. (3m)

Statement True/False Reason

(a) The writer felt that she

had done a good job with
cleaning her father’s
comb.

(b) The writer’s mother

encouraged her father to
change jobs.

(c) The writer was aware

that her father had got a
new comb.

77. How were things between the writer and her father after her graduation? State
evidence from the text to suggest why you think so. (2m)

__________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________
 78. Look at the table below. What do the words in the left column refer to in the
passage? Write your answers in the column on the right. The first one has been
done for you. (3m)

Word(s) from the passage What the word(s) refer(s) to

girl (line 6) The writer

one (line 22)

routine (line 26)

in (line 29)

79. At the end of the story, explain fully what the writer realized about the cleaning of
her father’s comb? (2m)

__________________________________________________________________

80. What did the writer finally understand about her father at the end of the story?
(1m)

__________________________________________________________________

Answer Key

1. c
2. a
3. a
4. a
5. c
6. c
7. d
8. d
9. a
10. d
11. d
12. b
13. d
14. d
15. b
16. b
17. c
18. d
19. a
20. b
21. d
22. d
23. d
24. b
25. c
26. a
27. d
28. a
29. F
30. J
31. Q
32. E
33. K
34. A
35. D
36. M
37. P
38. G
39. on
40. Inspired
41. Exist
42. Which
43. Believed
44. And
45. In
46. Knowledgeable
47. Assumed
48. Been
49. Surprised
50. Involved
51. these / the
52. to
53. serves
54. dung
55. named
56. balls / spheres
57. hole / funnel
58. Hand
59. through
60. feed / thrive
61. length / size / width
62. weighing
63. fight / battle / attack
64. for
65. concern
66. Mr Tan reminded us that we were to meet him at the patio during recess that day.
67. Much to our disappointment, he did not turn up for the interview.
68. Neither Greg nor Paul is an avid reader.
69. Maria asked her friends to guess who she had seen at the party the previous night.
70. The way the employer managed his workers’ complaints showed his kindness.
71. Sitting with her father in his study every night when he came home from the
office.
She would watch her father put his personal items away.
72. Occupy the same spot
73. Upset, angry
74. Mundane, shaky, awkwardness
75. 2, 3, 1
76. (i) True. She would proudly pass it back to her father.

(ii) False. The writer’s mother advised him to stick to his old job.

(iii) False. She had not noticed that he had changed his comb.

77. The writer and her father were not as close as before. The awkwardness between
them had persisted for a while.
78. One  the father’s new comb
Routine  cleaning the comb
It  the writer’s father’s smile
79. The writer realized that it was such a joy to clean his father’s comb and the
cleaning signified family bonding time as the father was home early to spend
evening with Mother and him.
80. The writer noticed that his father had aged with wrinkles next to his mouth when
he smiled but his smile was heartwarming as he had worked hard to give his
family a good life.