Poem A, Friends by Abbie Farwell Brown.

Friends

How good to lie a little while 1

And look up through the tree!
The Sky is like a kind big smile
Bent sweetly over me.

The Sunshine flickers through the lace 5

Of leaves above my head,
And kisses me upon the face
Like Mother, before bed.

The Wind comes stealing o’er the grass 9

To whisper pretty things;
And though I cannot see him pass,
I feel his careful wings.

So many gentle Friends are near 13

Whom one can scarcely see,
A child should never feel a fear,
Wherever he may be.
Poem B, New School by Kevin McCann.
New School

In the playground corner 1

I stand and see:
Girls with skipping ropes,
Boys with footballs
And everyone shouts at once.

In the playground corner 6

I stand and see:
A teacher looking at his watch,
Cup of coffee in one hand
And a whistle in the other.

In the playground corner 11

I stand and see:
Big kids sharing jokes and sweets,
One skits our headmaster
And everyone knows everyone else.

In the playground corner 16

I stand on my own
And wish and wish
I could just go home.
 Section A: Reading

Spend 30 minutes on this section.

Read Poem A in the Insert. Then answer questions 1–11.

1 Look at lines 1–4.

What is the narrator doing?

. ..................................................................................................................... [1]

2 Which words are used to persuade you that the Sky is caring?

Give the adjective .............................................................................................

Give the adverb ............................................................................................. [2]

3 Why does the narrator say that the Sunshine ‘flickers’ (line 5)?

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. ..................................................................................................................... [1]

4 How does the writer make the Sunshine seem comforting?

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. ..................................................................................................................... [1]

5 Give one word that tells you that the Wind moves quietly and secretly.

. ..................................................................................................................... [1]
6 The narrator experiences the Wind in two ways.

Tick (✓) two boxes to show which senses the narrator uses.

hearing

sight

smell

taste

touch
[2]

7 The first line of each verse has eight syllables.

How does the writer make line 9 have eight syllables?

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. ..................................................................................................................... [1]

8 Underline two examples of alliteration in this verse:

So many gentle Friends are near

Whom one can scarcely see,

A child should never feel a fear,

Wherever he may be. [2]

9 (a) The narrator says that you should never be afraid.

What reason does she give?

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. ............................................................................................................... [1]

(b) Why do the words Sunshine, Wind and Sky begin with capital letters in
this poem?

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10 Choose the best word to describe how the narrator feels.

Tick (✓) one box.

hopeful

relaxed

bored

lonely
[1]

11 The writer uses a simile (where something is ‘like’ or ‘as’ something else) to
help describe things in the poem.

Find one example of a simile in the poem.

. ..................................................................................................................... [1]
Read Poem B in the Insert. Then answer questions 12–20.

12 Look at lines 1–5.

What is the narrator doing?

Tick (✓) one box.

watching

skipping

running

shouting
[1]

13 What is the teacher doing that suggests playtime is almost finished?

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. ..................................................................................................................... [1]

14 Which word in the poem means ‘pretends to be someone else’?

. ..................................................................................................................... [1]

15 Write one line from the poem that suggests the narrator is the only child who
is new at the school.

. ..................................................................................................................... [1]

16 Where does the narrator want to be?

. ..................................................................................................................... [1]
17 Tick (✓) the best word to describe how the narrator feels.

hopeful

relaxed

bored

lonely
[1]

18 Give two ways in which the first and last verses have different moods.

1 ........................................................................................................................

2 .................................................................................................................... [2]

19 Give one example of repetition from the poem.

. ..................................................................................................................... [1]

This question is about Poem A and Poem B.

20 Give a theme that is the same in both poems.

. ..................................................................................................................... [1]
 Section B: Writing

Spend 30 minutes on this section.

21 ‘It was my first day at school. The bell rang for the end of playtime. I walked
through the classroom door and I could not believe what I saw …’

Continue the story about the narrator’s first day at a new school.

Describe:

• what the narrator saw

• how the narrator felt at the beginning of the day
• who the narrator made friends with
• what the narrator did
• how the narrator felt at the end of the day.

Characters • the narrator

• new friends?
• teachers?
Setting • the school?
• the classroom?
• the playground?
Plot • What happened to the narrator?
• Did the narrator do anything exciting?

PLANNING

Spend up to five minutes making notes to plan your writing in this box.

Space for your plan:

Continue the story on the next page. [25 marks]

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