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    9 Plus English Specimen Reading

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    RS J
    The passage describes a man fleeing across icy terrain on a snowmobile being chased by enemies wanting to kill him. He must travel nearly 700 miles of dangerous frozen sea to reach safety in Russia and warn others of Murdo's secret before death catches up to him. Extreme cold, lack of food, and threat from pursuers make survival seem very unlikely but he is determined to try for the sake of humanity.

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    9 Plus English Specimen Reading

    Uploaded by

    RS J
    6 views4 pages
    The passage describes a man fleeing across icy terrain on a snowmobile being chased by enemies wanting to kill him. He must travel nearly 700 miles of dangerous frozen sea to reach safety in Russia and warn others of Murdo's secret before death catches up to him. Extreme cold, lack of food, and threat from pursuers make survival seem very unlikely but he is determined to try for the sake of humanity.

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    The passage describes a man fleeing across icy terrain on a snowmobile being chased by enemies wanting to kill him. He must travel nearly 700 miles of dangerous frozen sea to reach safety in Russia and warn others of Murdo's secret before death catches up to him. Extreme cold, lack of food, and threat from pursuers make survival seem very unlikely but he is determined to try for the sake of humanity.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    6 views4 pages

    9 Plus English Specimen Reading

    Uploaded by

    RS J
    The passage describes a man fleeing across icy terrain on a snowmobile being chased by enemies wanting to kill him. He must travel nearly 700 miles of dangerous frozen sea to reach safety in Russia and warn others of Murdo's secret before death catches up to him. Extreme cold, lack of food, and threat from pursuers make survival seem very unlikely but he is determined to try for the sake of humanity.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 4

    Group C (9+)

    SPECIMEN PAPER 2015

    English - Reading

    25 minutes

    Instructions
     Answer ALL the questions
     Match your response to the marks available
     If you get stuck, move on to the next question

    Surname: .................................................................

    First name: .................................................................


    Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow.

    ‘STOP HIM! KILL HIM!’


    A lanky scarecrow of a man tore across the frozen ground, jinking this way and
    that as bullets blasted up snow and ice around him. Cover ... Get behind hut ... Now where?
    ... There – snowmobile! ... Unguarded ... The man flung himself onto the large grey machine,
    5 gloved hands fumbling with the ignition.
    PTANG! PTANG! Bullets on metal. Come on ... Start! ... Come ON ... Yes! ...
    The engine roared alive, powering the vehicle forward at breakneck speed. More
    men ... blocking way ... raising their guns ... straight through ‘em! ... Scattering the guards, the
    fugitive forced the machine on at full throttle, long coat flying out behind, battered hat
    10 and face muffler covering all but his eyes. Haunted eyes; desperate eyes; searching for a
    way down to the shore.
    Rocks. Have to jump ‘em.
    He zoomed the snowmobile up a snowdrift, into an arcing leap over the snow-
    covered rocks. WHAM! The vehicle slammed onto the frozen sea, almost jolting the
    15 rider from his seat, and sped onwards.
    PTANG! PTANG! ... PFUT! I’m hit! No – just a bullet grazing hat. Keep swerving. Are
    they following me? Bound to be. Keep eyes on ice ahead. Starting to snow again. Good – it’ll
    cover tracks.
    The swirling snow closed in, obliterating the horizon ahead and the island behind,
    20 enveloping the rider and his vehicle in a white void.
    Set course: dead south. Any damage to machine? Seems alright. Fuel? Main tank full. Two
    spare cans; both look intact. Maybe I have a chance. A slim chance. Damn slim.
    Nearly seven hundred miles of rugged, treacherous sea ice lay between him and
    the northern coast of Russia. Air temperature: minus 55°C ... Food rations: inadequate. With
    25 the added danger of enemy snowmobiles and enemy planes, death seemed almost
    certain.
    But I have to try ... Have to alert the others ... Tell them Murdo’s secret ... If I fail, it’s the
    end of everything ... The end for all humanity...
    Questions

    1. Find one word in the passage that means ‘large grey machine’ (line 4).

    ..............................................................................................................................................................

    (1 mark)

    2. ‘Snow and ice’ (line 3) indicate the story is set in a cold place. Pick out two extra
    details that reinforce this sense of extreme cold.

    ..............................................................................................................................................................

    (2 marks)

    3. What two things does the word ‘scarecrow’ (line 2) tell you about the man?

    ..............................................................................................................................................................

    ..............................................................................................................................................................

    (2 marks)

    4. Pick out two other details that reinforce the impression of ‘scarecrow’.

    ..............................................................................................................................................................

    (2 marks)

    5. (a) Why are the words ‘STOP HIM! KILL HIM!’ (line 1) in capital letters?

    ..............................................................................................................................................................

    ..............................................................................................................................................................

    (1 mark)

    (b) Why are some words, like ‘Cover... Get behind shed...’ (line 3) in italics?

    ..............................................................................................................................................................

    ..............................................................................................................................................................

    (2 marks)
    6. Reread lines 20-24. In your own words explain why the man’s survival seems unlikely.

    ..............................................................................................................................................................

    ..............................................................................................................................................................

    ..............................................................................................................................................................

    (3 marks)

    7. What do you think ‘Murdo’s secret’ (line 25) is? Explain your answer with reference
    to the passage as a whole.

    ..............................................................................................................................................................

    ..............................................................................................................................................................

    ..............................................................................................................................................................

    ..............................................................................................................................................................

    (4 marks)

    8. Explain the meaning of the following words, as used in the passage:

    (a) ‘lanky scarecrow of a man’ (line 2)

    ..............................................................................................................................................................

    (b) ‘the man flung himself’ (line 4)

    ..............................................................................................................................................................

    (c) ‘treacherous sea’ (line 22)

    ..............................................................................................................................................................

    (3 marks)

    Total: 20 marks

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