English- Reading

Stage 6

Final Practice Booklet 2023/2024

• Mystery stories
• Suspense stories
• Science Fiction stories
• Persuasive texts
• Non-chronological reports

INSTRUCTIONS

• Answer all questions.

• Write your answer to each question in the space provided.
• You should pay attention to punctuation, spelling and handwriting.
• Correct for yourself following the Online answer key

3126_02_4RP
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Contents Page

Fiction Section

Test 1 ........................................ Page 3

Test 2 ........................................ Page 9
Test 3 ........................................ Page 16
Test 4 ........................................ Page 22
Test 5 ........................................ Page 28
Test 6 ........................................ Page 36
Test 7 ........................................ Page 41
Blunders and Lightening.............Page 47
Miggglepop Mansion .................Page 50
Little Samy and the Alien............Page 53
Danni and the Machine War…….Page 58
Non-Fiction Section
Test 12 ........................................ Page 64
Test 13 ........................................ Page 70
Test 14 ........................................ Page 76
Test 15 ........................................ Page 79
Test 16 ........................................ Page 82
Test 17 ........................................ Page 85
Test 18 ........................................ Page 88
Test 19 ........................................ Page 92
 Test 1

Text for Section A, an extract from ‘Cowboy showdown’ by Chris Blake

At the museum where his dad works, Tom is helping to set up an exhibition about
the Aztecs. The Aztecs were an ancient people who lived in Central America
during the 14th and 15th centuries. Tom and his dad are just arriving in the Aztec
room.

***

Tom gasped. He felt as though he had just stepped back in time to Ancient
Mexico. There were still several unpacked crates and boxes, but the things that
had been unloaded were amazing.

He pointed to a model of a twin pyramid with a squared-off top. ‘What’s this?’

Before Dad could reply, a woman appeared in the doorway. ‘Dr Sullivan, there’s 5
a call for you,’ she said.

‘I’ll be right back,’ said Dad, heading to the office. ‘Take a look round, but be
careful and don’t touch anything.’

Tom studied the displays. He saw clay statues with wide mouths and big ears,
sword-like weapons and documents written in a strange language. There was 10
even a carved wooden box that looked like a treasure chest.

In a corner, he found a wooden cylinder carved with strange symbols. The label
explained it was a drum that belonged to the rain god, Tlaloc, who would bang it
to create thunder! Beside it lay two mallets*.

‘This I’ve got to hear!’ thought Tom. He reached for one of the mallets, then 15
quickly drew back his hand. Tom knew the rules but his fingers were itching. It
was as if the drum were begging him to play it. He knew he shouldn’t but he was
just too curious.

Tom glanced around the room to be sure there was nobody else in the room.
Then he picked up a mallet and gently swung it down. 20

To his shock, an enormous roll of thunder exploded from the drum. Suddenly,
Tom wasn’t alone any more.

Standing in front of him was a blue girl wearing a feathered headdress.

‘You freed me from that drum!’ the girl exclaimed, throwing her arms around
Tom. ‘Thank you!’ 25

Tom stepped back.

‘I didn’t mean to do anything,’ said Tom.

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Once again, the museum was rocked by an ear-splitting thunderclap. Heavy rain
began to fall…inside the museum!

Another rumble of thunder shook the room. A second stranger appeared. This 30
one had blue skin and fancy feathers. Only he was enormous!

Zuma looked nervous. Tom could only stare.

‘He’s Tlaloc, the rain god,’ she whispered.

Tlaloc picked up the wooden drum and the rain stopped.

‘Zuma! You have escaped your prison after five hundred years!’ Tlaloc roared. 35
‘But you are not free yet!’

The rain god pointed one huge finger at the treasure chest. The lid lifted with a
loud creak, and six shiny coins rose out of the chest and sailed across the room.
They landed with a jangle in his palm.

‘You must find these six coins in order to win your freedom,’ Tlaloc announced. 40
He waved his hand and a powerful wind gusted through the room, bringing with it
a thick white mist. Tlaloc tossed the coins into the mist. For a moment, they spun,
shining in the air. Then the wind howled again and they vanished.

‘What’s happening?’ Zuma cried, her feathered headdress flapping wildly.

Tom was pretty sure he knew what was coming next. ‘Grab my hand,’ he 45
shouted, ‘and hold on tight!’

‘I’m not sure where… or when… we’ll land,’ Tom shouted above the howl of the
cyclone*. ‘But – it’s going to be an adventure!’

Glossary
*mallets – wooden hammers
*cyclone – windstorm

DO NOT WRITE IN THIS SPACE

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Section A: Reading

Spend 30 minutes on this section.

Read the Text in the insert, and answer Questions 1–16.

1 How does Tom feel when he arrives in the Aztec room? Tick () one box.

worried

annoyed

confused

surprised

[1]

2 How do we know there is a lot to do before the exhibition opens to the public?

[1]

3 What is the first Aztec object Tom notices?

[1]

4 Why does Tom’s dad leave the Aztec room?

[1]

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5 What is ‘It was as if the drum were begging him to play it’ (lines 16–17) an
example of? Tick () two boxes.

simile

rhyme

alliteration

personification

onomatopoeia

[2]

6 Look at line 19.

Explain why Tom wants to be alone. Give two ideas.
•

• [2]

7 Explain in your own words why Tom is so shocked by what happens when he
hits the drum (lines 20–21). Give two ideas.
•

• [2]

8 Where is Zuma before Tom sees her?

[1]

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9 Look at lines 23–25.

What does the girl’s behaviour tell us about how she feels? Tick () one box.

She feels

grateful.

angry.

hesitant.

proud.

[1]

10 Why did Zuma look nervous? Tick () one box.

She is surprised by the arrival of a stranger.

She is expecting Tlaloc to be angry with her.

She is troubled when she sees the expression on Tom’s face.

She is afraid of Tlaloc’s blue skin and fancy feathers.

[1]

11 What brought the rain to an end?

[1]

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12 Look at lines 35–39.

Give three words which describe sounds.
•

• [3]

13 Look at this sentence: ‘“But – it’s going to be an adventure!”’ (Line 48)

This suggests that Tom has been on an adventure before. Give another
sentence from the text which tells us that Tom has already been on a similar
adventure.

[1]

14 Match each verb below with an explanation:

moved irregularly
rose (line 38)
moved quickly
sailed (line 38)
moved up
spun (line 42)
moved smoothly
[3]

15 The story is told from Tom’s point of view.

How would it be different if Tlaloc was telling it?
•

• [2]

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 Test 2

Text for Section A, an extract from Lampie by Annet Schaap

Lampie lives with her father, who is a lighthouse-keeper.

***

By the time dusk falls, the lamp must be lit. It is always the girl who lights it.
Every night, she climbs the sixty-one steps, opens the rusty little door, lights the
wick, winds up the mechanism that turns the lamp, shuts the door, and the job is 5
done.

It was hard work when she was younger, but now her arms have grown strong
and her legs can easily climb up and down the steps twice a day. Three times if
she forgets the matches. That happens sometimes, and her father always
grumbles at her. 10

‘It’s almost dark and the lamp’s not lit! What if a ship is lost, child? What if it runs
aground on the rocks and it’s all my fault? No – all your fault! Hurry up! Climb
those stairs! Or should I just do it myself?’

‘I’m on my way,’ the girl mutters, taking the matches from the drawer. The box
rattles quietly. There’s only one match left. 15

Must buy more matches tomorrow, she thinks. Don’t forget.

***

The girl knows though, that remembering can be difficult. She always has so
much inside her head: songs, stories, things she has to learn, things she wants
to forget but that keep coming back.

As she climbs the stairs, she comes up with a little trick. What was it she wanted 20
to remember? Oh yes. In her mind, she picks up a matchbox and then places it
on a table in the middle of her head – with a little lamp shining onto the box, so
that it will be the first thing she sees when she wakes up tomorrow morning. Or
so she hopes.

Think of a lamp, Lampie, she tells herself. 25

Because that’s her name. Lampie.

Her real name is Emilia. But that had been her mother’s name too. And her father
had always found it annoying when two people looked up when he called the
name. So he calls her Lampie instead.

‘You’re not the brightest of lights though, are you, Lampie?’ he always says 30
whenever she forgets something.

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***

Lampie climbs upstairs with the last match. She has to be very careful. It must
not go out before the lamp is lit, because then… Shipwrecks and an angry father.
She is not sure which would be worse.

‘Lampie!’ Her father’s voice is loud, even though it is coming from sixty-one steps 35
below. ‘The light! NOW!’

Usually he has been asleep for ages by this time of day, snoring away in his
chair. But not tonight. She strikes the match. A tiny, useless spark. And again.
This time there is a proper flame. That’s good. She cups her other hand around
the match and brings it to the wick. Come on! The flame hesitates a little, before 40
growing bigger.

‘Flame, flame, burn hot and quick.

Drink the oil and eat the wick!’

She quietly sings to herself, as she looks into the bright light. She could feel a bit
of a knot in her stomach before, but it is starting to loosen now. 45

Wind up the mechanism, done.

‘Matches, matches, must buy matches,’ she sings as she walks back down the
stairs. Must remember to buy matches.

***

But still, she forgets.

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Section A: Reading

Spend 30 minutes on this section.

Read the Text in the insert, and answer Questions 1–13.

1 Look at lines 3–6.

Look at the first two sentences.

(a) Give one example of a modal verb.

[1]

(b) Give one example of a relative pronoun.

[1]

(c) The third sentence is a long sentence consisting of several short clauses. Why
has the writer chosen to structure the sentence in this way?

[1]

2 Why does the girl have to go up and down the steps twice every day?

[1]

3 Look at the third paragraph (lines 11–13).

(a) How is the third paragraph linked to the second paragraph?

[1]

(b) In the third paragraph the word lost has two possible meanings. What are the
two meanings?

Meaning 1:

Meaning 2:
[2]

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4 Look at lines 14–15.

How does Lampie know that the matchbox is almost empty?
Tick () one box.

because she hears the sound it makes

because she counts the matches

because she feels how light it is

because she looks inside it

[1]

5 Look at lines 17–19.

The writer gives the reason why Lampie finds it hard to remember things. How
does the writer help us to understand the reason?

[1]

6 Look at line 25.

Why does Lampie give herself this instruction?
Tick () one box.

to remember to light the lamp

to remind herself to buy more matches

to forget some unpleasant thoughts

to distract herself while climbing the stairs

[1]

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7 Look at lines 27–31.

(a) The father gives his daughter a name that is different from his wife’s name.
Why do you think he chooses Lampie as a name for his daughter?

[1]

(b) What is the father saying about his daughter when he uses the phrase ‘You’re
not the brightest of lights…’?

[1]

8 Look at lines 32–34.

Why does the writer use an ellipsis ( … ) here?

[1]

9 Look at lines 37–41.

Which of the following sentences show Lampie’s voice?
Tick () two boxes.

She strikes the match.

That’s good.

A tiny, useless spark.

Come on!

This time there is a proper flame.

[2]

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10 Look at lines 42–43.

In the song, the flame is personified. Identify two different ways the flame is
personified.

Way 1:

Way 2:
[2]

11 Look at the idiom ‘She could feel a bit of a knot in her stomach…’ (lines 44–45).
What does the idiom tell us about how she was feeling?

[1]

12 Look at the whole text.

(a) What theme links the end of each section?

[1]

(b) Why has the final sentence been separated from the rest of the text?
Tick () two boxes.

to introduce a change of setting

to signal what will happen next

to end Lampie’s story on a positive note

to show Lampie’s stubbornness

to increase the dramatic effect

[2]

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13 Which of these opinions about Lampie do you agree with more strongly?
Tick () one box.

Lampie works hard because she is frightened of her father.

Lampie behaves more responsibly than her father.

Give two reasons why you agree with the opinion you have ticked. Support each
reason with a quote from the text.

Reason 1:

Quotation 1:

Reason 2:

Quotation 2:
[4]

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 Test 3

Text for Section A, an adapted extract from Shadowsea by Peter Bunzl

First there was darkness.

Then patches of watery green light.

Then fish, whole schools of them. With luminous fins bright as knives, glowing
scales that shimmered like armour.

They swam past the shadow of a submarine base. 5

The base was the shape of a giant rusted wheel, with spokes that ran from the
exterior to its centre. Parts of it were unfinished – the ties that bound it to the
seabed still under construction. Rising from the hub was a tower.

Through the tower’s only porthole, a blond boy of thirteen with bright, inquisitive
eyes could be seen sitting on the cabin floor. The boy was humming a tune to 10
himself – a tune that matched the buzzing in the walls – as he worked on a
miniature wagon. Jar lids made up the wagon’s wheels, flattened cans its
carriage. It had pencils for axles and wire for its yoke*.

When he was done, the boy plucked a white mouse from his pocket and tied it to
the wagon. He placed the mouse on the floor and it tottered forward on tiny red 15
paws, pulling the wagon behind it.

After a moment it broke into a run, skittering beneath a table, where two adults, a
man and a woman with the same blond hair and inquisitive eyes as the boy, sat
working.

The boy chased the mouse under the table and followed it out the door. 20

Hot on its heels, he ran down the passageway.

The mouse crossed grates and vents and wove beneath pipes, sticking close to
the walls. It clattered its cart past damp bulbous diving suits that stank of the sea,
tumbled across galleys and mess halls where crew members sat eating.

Still the boy chased it. 25

Finally, it ran through a crack where a door stood slightly ajar.

In the room beyond, row upon row of mice scrabbled about in cages.

The white mouse stopped in the centre of the spotless floor.

The boy crouched, mouth half-open, stretching out a hand to pick it up.

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A swish of a skirt. 30

A shiny leather shoe stepped across his path.

The boy glanced up. ‘Hey, Aunt Matilda!’

A gaunt-faced woman with short slicked-back hair, wearing a white lab coat and
goggles pushed back on her head, was putting on a pair of rubber gloves. ‘That’s
Professor Milksop to you.’ 35

Professor Milksop scooped up the mouse and dropped the cart unceremoniously
on the floor. ‘This rodent’s valuable. You should never have taken it from the lab.’

‘He looked sad,’ the boy said. ‘I named him Spook, on account of his colouring.
He looks like a Spook*, don’t ya think?’

The boy glanced at the mouse, scrabbling in the professor’s hand. 40

It squeaked softly.

‘Don’t be naming them,’ the professor said. ‘Name a thing and you start to have
feelings for it.’

‘Go back to your quarters now, Dane. You shouldn’t be here.’

The professor kicked aside the cart and headed for a second, lead-lined door at 45
the end of the room.

*Glossary
yoke: used to attach an animal to a cart
spook: ghost

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Section A: Reading

Spend 30 minutes on this section.

Read the text in the insert, and answer questions 1–9.

1 Where is the story set? Tick () one box.

in a school

under water

in outer space

in an aquarium

[1]

2 Look at the structure of the first three lines.

Explain how the writer uses structure to attract our interest. Give two ideas.
•

• [2]

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3 Look at lines 1–8.

(a) Give one word which means ‘groups’.

[1]

(b) The phrase bright as knives is a simile.

What does bright as knives tell us about the fish?

[1]

(c) Match each word to the correct word class, as it is used in lines 1–8.

bound adjective

from adverb

giant noun

ties preposition

still verb
[3]

4 Look at lines 9–16.

(a) Why are dashes ( – ) used in this part?

[1]

(b) Who is making the wagon?

[1]

(c) Give two things that are used to make the wagon.
•

• [2]

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5 Look at lines 17–26.

(a) Who do you think the two adults are? Support your answer with evidence
from the text.

[2]

(b) Give one verb which is a synonym for how the mouse runs.

[1]

(c) Give one phrase from the text which means ‘moving quickly, close behind’.

[1]

6 Look at lines 27–35.

How does the writer make Aunt Matilda seem unpleasant? Give two ways.
•

• [2]

7 Look at lines 36–47.

(a) Give one two-word phrase which makes the mouse seem weak and
helpless.

[1]

(b) Give a phrase which shows that Professor Milksop did not care for the
vehicle which the boy made.

[1]

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8 Look at the whole text again.

Which two adjectives would you use to describe the boy?

• lonely
• unkind
• curious
• creative
• naughty

Write the adjectives. Give evidence from the text to support each answer.

Adjective 1:

Evidence 1:

Adjective 2:

Evidence 2:
[2]

9 Match each idea with the correct part of the text. An example has been done
for you.

setting up the game lines 27–35

arriving in the lab lines 36–47

racing round the rooms lines 1–8

looking in from outside lines 17–26

putting an end to the fun lines 9–16

[3]

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 Test 4

Text for Section A, an extract from ‘An Eagle in the Snow’ by Michael Morpurgo

The train was still in the station, and I was wondering if we’d ever get going. I
was with my ma*. I was tired. My arm was hurting and itching at the same time,
inside the plaster. I remember she was already at her knitting*, her knitting
needles tick-tacking away, automatically, effortlessly. Socks for Dad, this time.

‘This train’s late leaving,’ Ma said. ‘That clock on the platform says it’s well past 5
twelve already. Still, not surprising, I suppose, under the circumstances.’ Then
she said something that surprised me. ‘If I drop off to sleep, Barney,’ she told me,
‘just you keep your eye on that suitcase, d’you hear? All we got in this world is up
there in that luggage rack, and I don’t want no one pinching it.’

I was just thinking, that was quite a strange thing to say because there was no 10
one else in the carriage except the two of us, when the door opened and a man
got in, slamming the door behind him. He never said a word to us, but took off his
hat, put it up on the rack beside our suitcase, and then settled himself into the
seat opposite. He looked at his watch and opened up his paper, his face
disappearing behind it for a while. He had to put it down to blow his nose, which 15
was when he caught me staring at him, and nodded.

Everything about him was neat. I noticed that at once, from his highly polished
shoes, to his trim moustache and his collar and tie. I decided right away that he
didn’t look like the sort of man who would pinch Ma’s suitcase. There was also
something about him that I thought I recognised; I had the feeling I might have 20
seen him before. Maybe I hadn’t. Maybe it was just because he seemed about
the same age as Grandpa, with the same searching look in his eye.

But this stranger was neat, and there was nothing neat about my grandpa. My
grandpa was a scarecrow, with his hair always tousled – what there was of it –
his hands and face grimy from delivering his coal, and that was after he had 25
washed. This stranger had clean hands, and clean nails too, as well looked after
as the rest of him.

‘Hope I pass inspection, son,’ he said, eyeing me meaningfully.

Ma nudged me, and apologised for my rudeness, before she turned on me. ‘How
many times have I told you not to stare at people, Barney? Say sorry to the 30
gentleman, now.’

‘Don’t you worry, missus,’ he said. ‘Boys will be boys. I was one once myself, a
while ago now, but I was.’

The Station Master came past our window then, waving his green flag, blowing
his whistle, his cheeks puffed out so that his face looked entirely round, like a 35
pink balloon, I thought.

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Then we were off, the train chuffing itself wearily, reluctantly, into slow motion.
‘’Bout time,’ said Ma.

Glossary
ma: mother
knitting: making clothes from wool

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Section A: Reading

Spend 30 minutes on this section.

Read the text, in the Insert, and answer questions 1–19.

1 Where are Barney and his mother at the beginning of the text?

[1]

2 Give a quote from the first paragraph (lines 1–4) which tells us that Barney was
impatient.

[1]

3 Explain what the words automatically, effortlessly (line 4) tell the reader about
Ma’s ability to knit.
Give two ideas.

 [2]

4 Give a quote from the first paragraph that shows Ma knits regularly for the
family.

[1]

5 Look at the second paragraph. What does Ma mean when she says ‘… not
surprising … under the circumstances’? (Line 6)

Tick () one box.

She thinks the clock is wrong.

She understands the problem.

She finds the late start annoying.

She knows the train is usually late.

[1]

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6 Look at these sentences: ‘Then she said something that surprised me. “If I drop
off to sleep, Barney,” she told me, “just you keep your eye on that suitcase, d’you
hear?”’ (Lines 6–8)
Give the phrase from the sentences above that means watch.

[1]

7 Look at this phrase: ‘All we got in this world is up there in that luggage rack …’
(Lines 8–9)
What does this tell us about Barney’s family?

[1]

8 Look at this phrase: ‘… I don’t want no one pinching it.’ (Line 9)

What is the best word to replace pinching?

Tick () one box.

damaging

squeezing

stealing

opening
[1]

9 Give one word from the third paragraph (lines 10–16) that tells us the man
closed the carriage door loudly.

[1]

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10 What did the man do immediately after he sat down?

[1]

11 In the fourth paragraph (lines 17–22), Barney describes the man as neat.
Give one example of the man’s neatness.

[1]

12 Give one word from the fifth paragraph (lines 23–27) that means

(a) untidy.

[1]

(b) dirty.

[1]

13 What does the phrase … what there was of it … (line 24) suggest about Barney’s
grandpa?

[1]

14 Give the phrase from the text that shows the man knows Barney is looking at
him closely.

[1]

15 Give a quote from lines 29–33 that shows Ma is tired of Barney’s behaviour.

[1]

16 The story is told from Barney’s point of view. How do we know?

[2]

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17 Complete the table below.

Figurative language Lines Example

onomatopoeia 1–4

23–27 ‘My grandpa was a scarecrow …’

‘… his face looked entirely round, like a
34–36
pink balloon …’
personification 37–38

[4]

18 Which text features are used in the text?

Tick () two boxes.

direct speech

facts and dates

personal pronouns

reported speech

rhyming language
[2]

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 Test 5

Spend 30 minutes on this section.

The Find

Jan pressed his forehead against the glass as the school bus trundled along the
empty road. He sighed. School had been as usual: Maths lasted forever, English
had been difficult (more so because he had forgotten to learn his spellings), and
he had fallen asleep in Geography.

At length, he was disturbed in his thoughts by the sight of something lying in the
ditch at the side of the road. It was bright and shiny, and the magpie in him was
unable to resist further investigation. He quickly picked up his bag and walked to
the front of the bus for the driver to stop.

“Not going straight home, Jan? You don’t usually get off here.”

“N-no, I’m going to my aunt’s.” The lie ached in his throat. Twenty pairs of eyes
burnt through him from the bus windows as he walked back along the length of it.
He thought later that his story would have been more believable if he had carried
on walking towards the houses nearby, until the bus had gone out of sight.

Jan walked and walked. Surely it hadn’t been this far back? He carried on,
beginning to wish he had stayed on the bus. He gazed glumly ahead of him, his
pace slowing. No sign of his treasure. Then, as he was about to turn round and
retrace his steps, he saw it: metallic, angular and perfect; just as he had hoped.
He knelt by the side of it and ran his fingers over the beautiful frame. It was cool
to his touch and so inviting that it took all Jan’s self-restraint to look carefully
around him before picking it up. There was definitely no-one around. He reached
for the handle grips and set it on its wheels. It was almost new. Surely it hadn’t
been thrown away? He must try to find the bicycle’s owner. Again he looked
about him, less furtively this time.

“Hello,” he ventured into the emptiness; then louder, “Hello!

Anyone there?” It was so still that Jan half expected an echo,
but there was nothing. Better look after it then, he thought to
himself mounting the machine, because whoever owns it will
definitely want it back.

Tentatively, he set off pedalling the cycle towards his house.

But should he go home? There would be questions when he
turned up with that. Jan suddenly felt stubborn, almost angry.

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“Why shouldn’t I keep it?” he shouted aloud to the countryside around him. “I
would look after it much better than the person who’s just left it in a ditch, in the
middle of nowhere!” The bicycle purred and before he realised, Jan was outside
his front door. He decided to put the bicycle in the shed. That would give him
time to think up a story to tell his Mother. The trouble was she had a built-in lie
detector, like most parents. Perhaps the truth would be acceptable?

“Jan, you’re late. Were you kept in at school?” Mother had been waiting.

“Yes, I had to catch up with my Geography.” Lie number one.

“Oh, those teachers! I don’t like you coming home alone.”

“It wasn’t her fault. I didn’t want to fall behind the others.” Lie number two.

“Never mind. Have your drink then we’ll go to see your Uncle. Pass me the
newspaper, would you?”

Jan picked up the paper and casually looked at the headline: “Birthday bicycle
goes missing. Police search for stolen red bicycle”. He swallowed hard, as he
handed the paper over. He felt the colour drain from his cheeks and his palms
became clammy. Then, Jan almost jumped out of his skin at a loud rapping at the
front door….

29
 4

Read the story The Find and answer the following questions.

1 What sort of day had Jan had at school?

[1]

2 Here are some of Jan’s thoughts during the story.

Number them in the order in which they came. The first has been done for
you.

He admired the bicycle.

Jan felt guilty about lying to the bus driver.

Jan feared he was about to be found out.

Jan was curious about an object he saw from the bus. 1

[1]

3 Did Jan intend to keep the bicycle he found?

Tick (
) one box.

Yes

No

Give a reason from the text to justify your answer.

[1]

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30
 5

4 (a) Read the descriptions below.

Tick (
) the best description of Jan’s feelings.

Jan couldn’t wait to get home.

Jan was depressed by the events of his school day.

The teachers had been picking on Jan all day.

Jan was enjoying the journey on the school bus.

[1]

(b) Re-read the first paragraph.

Jan pressed his forehead against the glass as the school

bus trundled along the empty road. He sighed. School
had been as usual: Maths lasted forever, English had
been difficult (more so because he had forgotten to learn
his spellings), and he had fallen asleep in Geography.

The purpose of this paragraph is to make the reader want to read on.
Explain how the author achieves this using words and phrases from the
text.

[2]

Page Total

31
 6

5 Was Jan’s mother a caring parent?

Tick (
) one box.

Yes

No

List three ways in which this was shown.

1
2
3 [1]

6 Fill in the missing word and finish each sentence to explain how Jan felt.

When Jan discovered the bicycle, he felt

because

When a knock came at the front door of his house, he felt

because
[2]

7 This is a modern story. Explain how you know.

[1]

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32
 7

8 Re-read the final paragraph.

Jan picked up the paper and casually looked at the

headline: “Birthday bicycle goes missing. Police search
for stolen red bicycle”. He swallowed hard, as he handed
the paper over. He felt the colour drain from his cheeks
and his palms became clammy. Then, Jan almost jumped
out of his skin at a loud rapping at the front door….

(a) Underline the word which is least appropriate to describe Jan’s mood
here.

dread anxiety faintness indigestion fear [1]

(b) Do you think the author is successful at creating Jan’s mood?

Explain your answer, choosing words and phrases from the paragraph.

[2]

9 Re-read these paragraphs.

Underline two examples of metaphors used to explain Jan’s state of mind.

At length, he was disturbed in his thoughts by the sight

of something lying in the ditch at the side of the road. It
was bright and shiny, and the magpie in him was unable
to resist further investigation. He quickly picked up his
bag and walked to the front of the bus for the driver to
stop.
“Not going straight home, Jan? You don’t usually get off
here.”
“N-no, I’m going to my aunt’s.” The lie ached in his
throat. Twenty pairs of eyes burnt through him from the
bus windows as he walked back along the length of it.
He thought later that his story would have been more
believable if he had carried on walking towards the
houses nearby, until the bus had gone out of sight.
[1]

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33
 8

10 Re-read these paragraphs.

“Hello,” he ventured into the emptiness; then louder,

“Hello! Anyone there?” It was so still that Jan half
expected an echo, but there was nothing. Better look
after it then, he thought to himself mounting the
machine, because whoever owns it will definitely want it
back.

Tentatively, he set off pedalling the cycle towards his

house. But should he go home? There would be
questions when he turned up with that. Jan suddenly
felt stubborn, almost angry.

Suggest alternative words or phrases the author might have used which have
the same meaning.

ventured
tentatively [2]

11 Find a phrase or sentence from the text which shows you that Jan did not
enjoy telling lies.
[1]

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34
 9

12 Re-read the following sentences from the story.

Put a tick (
) beside those sentences which refer to actions taken by Jan.
Put a cross (X) by those sentences which tell us about his feelings.

Jan pressed his forehead against the glass.

Maths lasted forever.

Jan walked and walked.

Surely it hadn’t been this far back?

Again he looked about him.

Better look after it then.

Jan suddenly felt stubborn, almost angry.

He swallowed hard.

[2]

13 Suggest a new title for the story.

Explain why you chose it.

[1]

Page Total

35
 Test 6

Spend 30 minutes on this section

Miss Lockwood’s Classroom

My footsteps echoed in the empty classroom. Through the dim light filtering in from
the concert in the school hall, I could just make out the irregular shape of the teacher’s
desk, buried under piles of books and papers. I didn’t have long. I wasn’t supposed to
be here. But one of those piles contained my English book, and I had to get my
English book back before Miss Lockwood saw it.

Earlier in the afternoon Miss Lockwood had asked us to write a character portrait. She
said that we should think of someone we knew well and then exaggerate their
personalities to create a character for a story. I chose to base my character on Miss
Lockwood, because I needed a scary teacher in my story and Miss Lockwood, when
she is in a temper, is the scariest person I know. Most of the time she’s great, but
she’s not a teacher you want to anger. Not unless you want to face a dragon.

I was quite proud of the character portrait I wrote. I think it is one of the best pieces of
writing I have ever done. But throughout the rest of the day I had this niggling feeling
that Miss Lockwood might not appreciate it, and by the time the concert started in the
school hall a few minutes ago, I had decided that it wasn’t worth the risk. So when the
concert started, I tiptoed out to ‘go to the toilet’ and sneaked down to Miss Lockwood’s
lair.

The room looked bigger in the gloom. Odd shapes loomed out of the shadows around
the walls. My mind kept trying to reassure me that there was nothing scary in the
classroom, that I had been writing in this very room only a few hours ago, that
everything in the room was familiar, but I wasn’t reassured. Sweat was beading on my
forehead, my stomach was full of slithering snakes and my mouth was as dry as a
desert. I crept forward.

SCREEEEECH! I froze. I had accidentally knocked against one of the desks. Later I
discovered that I had ripped the skin from my ankle and it was bleeding, but at the
time all of my senses were listening. Listening for the sound of footsteps. Listening for
someone to discover me. I stood, frozen to the spot. Not breathing. Just listening.

After a century or so, when no-one appeared, I began inching my way forwards again.
I moved more slowly, trying to become one of the shadows, trying to stop my heart
from beating so loudly in this grave-silent room.

Eventually, I reached the safety of Miss Lockwood’s desk. Breathing a quiet sigh of
relief, I put my hand on the desk. Immediately, the tallest mountain of books began to
wobble. Panicking, I put both hands around them but my elbow joggled against

© UCLES 2009
36
 3

another towering column and before I could do anything I was bombarded with books
crashing to the floor.

I fled.

A minute later I was back in my place in the school hall, listening to the concert. “Are
you all right?” whispered Miss Lockwood. “You’ve been gone a while and you look
very pale.”

I nodded. I smiled faintly at her and she smiled back. I decided that I would take my
chances. Miss Lockwood’s classroom during the day could never be as scary as it
was in the dark, even if she did sometimes turn into a dragon.

Read the story Miss Lockwood’s Classroom and answer the following questions.

1 Where should the narrator have been throughout the evening?

[1]

2 Number these events to show the order in which they happened during the day.
One has been done for you.

The narrator:

returned to the concert. 5

crept out of the concert.

wrote a character portrait.

knocked over a pile of books.

had a niggling feeling that Miss Lockwood might be upset.

[2]

Page Total

© UCLES 2009
37 [Turn over
 4

3 Why does the narrator refer to Miss Lockwood’s classroom as her ‘lair’?

[1]

4 (a) Which genre do you think this story is? Tick (
) the correct answer.

Traditional tale

Horror

Science Fiction

Real life stories

Legend
[1]

(b) Identify two features of the genre you chose for 4(a).

[2]

5 List two verbs from the text that are used instead of ‘went’.

1
2 [1]

6 Why do you think the author chose to write this story using a first person narrator?

[1]

Page Total
© UCLES 2009
38
 5

7 Explain how the author’s use of imagery helps your understanding of events in the
story. Use examples of images from the text in your answer.

[2]

8 Tick (
) all the reasons the author used for starting new paragraphs.

change of place

introduction of new person

change of time

different person speaking

new event or action

[2]

9 Reread this sentence.

So when the concert started, I tiptoed out to ‘go to the toilet’ and sneaked
down to Miss Lockwood’s lair.

Why are the words ‘go to the toilet’ in inverted commas?

[1]

Page Total

© UCLES 2009
39 [Turn over
 6

10 (a) List two different ways, other than imagery, in which the author creates
suspense. Give both the name of the technique and an example. One has
been done for you.

e.g. Description of setting dim light

2
[2]

(b) Do you think the author was successful at creating suspense? Explain your
answer.

[1]

11 Do you think you would like to have Miss Lockwood as your English teacher?
Explain your answer using words and sentences from the text.

[2]

12 The narrator exaggerates quite a lot e.g. After a century or so…

Does this help you to enjoy the story? Explain your answer.

Yes No

Explain your answer.

[1]

Page Total
© UCLES 2009
40
 Test 7

Read this extract from ‘The Scarecrow and His Servant’ by Philip Pullman and then answer
the questions.

Mr Pandolfo put together a fine-looking scarecrow, dressed him in an old tweed suit, and
stuffed him with straw. The scarecrow stood in a field, where Mr Pandolfo could admire him,
and he stayed there.

But one night there was a thunderstorm. It was very violent, and everyone in the district
shivered and trembled as the thunder went off like cannon-fire and the lightning lashed down
like whips. The scarecrow stood there in the wind and rain, taking no notice.

And so he might have stayed; but there came one of those million-to-one chances that are
like winning the lottery. All his molecules and atoms and elementary particles and whatnot
were lined up in exactly the right way to switch on when the lightning struck him, which it did
at two in the morning, fizzing its way through his turnip and down his broomstick into the
mud.

On the same night, a small boy called Jack happened to be sheltering in a barn close by. By
the morning the storm had cleared away, and Jack woke up colder than ever.

Then he heard a voice calling from across the fields. Jack was curious, so, standing up he
shaded his eyes to look. The shouts came from a scarecrow who was waving his arms wildly,
yelling at the top of his voice and leaning over at a crazy angle.

‘Help!’ he was shouting. ‘Come and help me!’

‘I think I’m going mad,’ said Jack to himself. ‘Still, look at that poor old thing – I’ll go and help
him anyway. He looks madder than I feel.’

To tell the truth, Jack felt a little nervous. It isn’t every day you find a scarecrow talking to you.

‘Now tell me your name, young man,’ said the scarecrow, when Jack was close enough to
hear.

His voice was rich and sonorous. Mr Pandolfo would undoubtedly have been impressed. His
head was made of a great knobbly turnip, with a broad crack for a mouth, a long thin sprout
for a nose and two bright stones for eyes. He had a tattered straw hat, now badly singed, a
soggy woollen scarf and an old tweed jacket full of holes. His rake-handle arms had gloves
stuffed with straw on the end of them, one glove leather and the other wool. Jack scratched
his head and looked up.

‘Jack.’ he said.
‘Now, Jack, I want to move on,’ said the scarecrow, ‘but I need another leg. If you go and find
me a leg, I shall be very obliged. Just like this one, only the opposite,’ he added, and lifted his
trouser leg daintily to show a stout stick set firmly in the earth.

© UCLES 2014
41
 3

The end of the stick that Jack brought was splintered and wasn’t easy to push up the soggy
trouser leg, but Jack finally got it all the way up, and then jumped as he felt it twitch in his
hand.

The scarecrow tried to move but the harder he struggled, the deeper he sank into the mud.
Finally, he stopped, and looked at Jack. It was astonishing how much expression he could
manage with his gash-mouth and stone-eyes.

Glossary

scarecrow – a model of a person put in a field to scare away birds

DO NOT WRITE IN THIS SPACE

© UCLES 2014
42
 2

Section A: Reading

Spend 30 minutes on this section.

Read the extract from The Scarecrow and His Servant by Philip Pullman in the
INSERT and then answer these questions.

1 Read these statements about the scarecrow. Tick (
) two boxes that we
know are TRUE from the passage.

He had matching gloves on.

He spoke in a quiet voice.

He wore a tweed suit.

His hair was made of straw.

His mouth was wide. [2]

2 Why were the people in the district afraid?

[1]

3 What change took place in the scarecrow when lightning struck him?

[1]

4 When Jack awoke, he stood up and looked around. Why?

[1]

© UCLES 2014
43
 3

5 Did the scarecrow seem calm?

Tick (
) one box.

Yes

No

Give a reason from the text to support your answer.

[1]

6 Although scarecrows don’t usually talk, Jack decided to go and help the
scarecrow.

What does this tell you about Jack?

[2]

7 Do you feel worried about Jack approaching the scarecrow?

Tick (
) one box.

Yes

No

Explain your answer using words and phrases from the text.

Explanation

Words and phrases to support your explanation

[2]

8 Why did Jack jump when the scarecrow’s leg twitched in his hand?

[2]

© UCLES 2014
44 [Turn over
 4

9 What do you think the weather was like outside when Jack woke up?

Give evidence from the text to support your answer.

[2]

10 Who do you think is the point of view character in this story?

Explain how you know.

[2]

11 The sentence below is part of the description of the weather in the story. Look
at the underlined phrase.

‘…the thunder went off like cannon-fire and the lightning lashed down like
whips.’

(a) Tick (
) one box to say which technique is being used here.

Alliteration

Metaphor

Onomatopoeia

Personification

Simile [2]

© UCLES 2014
45
 5

(b) Explain what you think the underlined phrase means.

[2]

© UCLES 2014
46 [Turn over
 Blunders and Lightning
Safia loved science. She spotted it everywhere she
went. She recognised the solar-powered spotlights that
lit the tree-lined path and the sensor that opened the
double doors ahead of her. The doors were activated
by motion sensors and Safia loved the way they made
her feel like a superhero when she swished her hand in
front of them, just before they parted.

Stepping into the Wainwright Science Institute, the

warm air that now washed over her cheeks was a
relief from the bitter chill that had whipped through
the trees on this wintry December evening.

Once inside the entrance, Safia thought about all the

things that she loved most about the institute: the
live experiments, the laser light show and the rooms
dedicated to individual scientists throughout history,
from Albert Einstein and Jane Goodall to Thomas
Edison and Mae Jemison.

Standing inside the reception area, Safia caught sight

of herself in the mirror-panelled wall ahead. Her
reflection stretched and squeezed when she rocked on her heels. She was wrapped in
her green puffer jacket and had her woollen hat pulled down over her ears. It was
the one Nana had knitted for her and was made from chunky, orange wool. Her
thick, black hair came out from under her hat, reaching her shoulders.
She was hoping to grow it halfway down her back by the time she
turned ten in June.

“Now, have you got everything you need for the night?” Dad
asked as he stood by Safia’s side, holding her hand. Although Dad
had always seemed tall to Safia, next to other grown-ups he was
actually of average height. He had dark brown eyes and a clean-shaven face. He
took great pride in looking the part for his job so he always had a neatly ironed
uniform and shiny, black shoes. Safia loved coming to visit Dad
at his work. He was the security guard at the institute
and on Fridays, he worked nights, making sure
that the inventions of the great Professor Millicent
Wainwright – the current owner of the institute –
were always protected.

47
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 Blunders and Lightning
Dad let go of Safia’s hand. “Hello? Earth to Safia,” he said, waving his hand
in front of her face. “I asked if you’ve got everything
you need.”

Safia shook her head to kick-start her brain. Yes, she had her
homework, her sandwiches in a plastic box and her pillow stuffed
into her bag so tightly that it nearly burst the zip.
Anything else she needed, she could buy from the
vending machines or get Dad to find for her in the
institute’s gift shop.

48
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of Originals stories each half-term.
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 Blunders and Lightning

Questions
1. What is lit up by the solar-powered spotlights? Tick one.
the rooms the path
the doors Safia’s face

2. What makes Safia feel like a superhero? Tick one.

She knows all about science.
She transforms in front of the mirror.
She opens the doors without touching them.
She has created great inventions.

3. How old will Safia be on her next birthday?

4. Other than the rooms dedicated to individual scientists, what does Safia love most about
the institute?

5. Number Safia’s actions from 1 to 4 to show the order that they occur in the text.

She shook her head to kick-start her brain.

She swished her hands to open the doors.

She stepped into the institute.

She caught sight of herself in the mirror.

6. On which day of the week does Dad work the night shift?

7. What does Dad say and do in order to attract Safia’s attention?

8. According to the text, which of these items does Safia have with her so she is ready to
stay overnight? Tick three.
her pyjamas her sandwiches
her homework her slippers
her sleeping bag her pillow

49
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of Originals stories each half-term.
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 Step 4 Extending Reading Skills

Migglepop Mansion Must Go!

Have you ever dreamed of living on another planet? Would you love
to live next door to an alien? Then look no further than the stunning
new house which has just come up for sale on the planet of Migglepop.

Perfectly located between the famous Zing crater and the rocky hills of
Pipple, this beautiful house is made from the finest asteroid rock and was
built to last for thousands of years.

For your peace of mind, this luxury house has the best security features available on the
market. The sturdy, metal front door can be unlocked with tentacle-print technology, or
will scan one of your many eyeballs to allow you to enter.

Q1: Which two features is the house located between?

Q2: Why did the author choose to start this text with questions?

Q3: Why might someone dream of living in space?

50 visit twinkl.com
 Migglepop Mansion Must Go!

Once inside the house, every room you enter will impress you. This spacious home has two
large, modern bathrooms, complete with sonic showers and automated tentacle slimers!
What a dream!

The huge kitchen upstairs is perfect for preparing the finest quality waste for your great
family of messy eaters. With a double bin for storing food and no space wasted on ancient
fridges and freezers, you will easily find space for a whole week’s worth of
rubbish to nibble on.

Wait – that’s not all! With twelve generous bedrooms to choose from,
you could sleep in a different room each day. Each bedroom has a
roomy, comfortable pod for sleeping in and lots of bright, dazzling
lights to help you sleep all through the day.

Q4: How many bedrooms does the house have?

Q5: Find and copy three adjectives from the text which mean the same as ‘large’.

Q6a: How is a bathroom on Migglepop similar to the bathroom at your house?

Q6b: How is a bathroom on Migglepop different to the bathroom at your house?

51 visit twinkl.com
 Migglepop Mansion Must Go!

Q7: Do you think the creatures that live on Migglepop are clean beings? Explain
your answer using evidence from the text.

This house has wasted no space with boring and pointless windows. Instead, every wall
is tastefully decorated with calm and relaxing colours, such as luminous yellow and lime
green. This will help you to feel rested as you watch your favourite films inside your
film-o-goggles.

Are you wondering where you will be able to keep your flying saucers? Well,
worry not! The five garages attached to the roof have plenty of room for
every family member’s spaceship. Phew!

This magnificent house is guaranteed to sell quickly. Make sure to call

today and book your visit to the most exclusive house in the solar system.

Q8: Why might people on Migglepop think that windows are ‘boring and pointless’?

Q9: Why do Migglepop garages need to be on the roof?

Q10: How has the author tried to make the house appealing to readers?

Q11: What do you think is the main point of this text?

52 visit twinkl.com
 Step 5 Consolidating Reading Skills

Little Sammy and the Alien

Little Sammy lay on his bed listening to his favourite bedtime story.
“So, the alien lived happily ever after. The end,” said Mum, in her
time-to-go-to-sleep way. She leant over, pecked Little Sammy on his
forehead and turned the lights out, just like she always did.
“Mum?” Little Sammy asked, as she was closing his door. “Does it always
end with a happy ending?”
“Of course it does, sweetheart,” his mum replied with an amused smile. “Now try to get
some sleep. Goodnight.”
Little Sammy’s mum closed the door, leaving the bedroom in total darkness, just like she
always did. Sammy lay there, staring into the darkness and waited for it all to start. It
was the tapping sound that he heard first, just like he always did: a tap, tap, tapping from
somewhere under his bed. Then, the strange scratchy sound began, like tiny feet scurrying
along the carpet. The last sound was always the funniest. He waited, trying not to laugh,
and then…

Q1: Which sound did Sammy hear first? Tick one answer.
scratching
tapping
scurrying
squeaking

Q2: Find and copy a phrase which the author uses to show that the unusual
events happened to Sammy a lot.

Q3: Do you think that Mum knows about the strange events that happen? Explain
your answer.

53 visit twinkl.com
 Little Sammy and the Alien
“Hemmmmmo…” a tiny voice squeaked.

“Meemu!” Little Sammy laughed, as he peered down to the end of his bed. There, heaving
itself onto his solar system duvet, was a fluorescent-green creature. It was about the
size of a teddy bear with bright yellow strands of hair. It had huge, maroon eyes and a
massive mouth. It sat down and smiled, glowing brightly, and making a cooing sound,
which was sort of a cross between the noises a pigeon and a baby might make. “Coo-coo,”
Little Sammy said, as if he understood the creature.

“Hemmmmmo,” the tiny creature repeated.

“Yes, hello, Meemu,” Little Sammy replied, turning on his bedside

lamp. “We’ve already been through that.” As soon as the light was
on, the creature’s bright colours disappeared. It looked rather plain
now, with wrinkly grey skin and scraggly hair. Its eyes were still big
and dark, though, which Little Sammy thought made it look quite cute.

“Meemu wanna go home,” the strange thing said.

“I know,” Little Sammy said. “Did you get what you needed?” The creature nodded,
crawled up the bed and unzipped a bag that he was carrying.

“Meemu like,” the creature giggled as it threw out a watch, a tablet, an electric razor, a
hairdryer, a load of wires, two chocolate biscuits and a packet of midget gems.

“Meemu,” Little Sammy sighed, “you’re making a trans-dimensional space portal so that
you can finally travel back to your home planet… why did you bring sweets and biscuits?”

The creature looked at his human friend as if he was mad. “Gemses power for machine,
silly Sammy,” it squeaked, shaking its head. “Plus, Meemu likes taste of biscuities. Yum
yum.” The small alien began to attach wires, plug in sockets, download programs and
nibble on biscuits.

Q4: Draw a line to match the creature’s body part to the adjectives that the author uses
to describe them. There can be more than one adjective for each body part.

hair yellow

massive
eyes
maroon

grey
mouth
scraggly

skin wrinkly

54 visit twinkl.com
 Little Sammy and the Alien

Q5: Find and copy three things that Meemu had in its backpack
•
•
•

Q6: How do you know that Sammy has met this creature before? Use
evidence from the text to support your answer.

Q7: Why do you think that the creature’s bright colours disappear when the light is
switched on?

Q8: Why does the author choose to write Meemu’s speech in broken English?

After ten minutes or so, it had finished. “Ta-da!” it sang, holding its tiny arms aloft.

Little Sammy stared at the strange contraption the alien had created. “And you are sure
that this is going to work?” he asked, looking rather sad.

The creature smiled and nodded its head.

“My mum says aliens can’t live under people’s beds but you’ve been with me ever since I
can remember. You’ve always been there for me, Meemu…”

The alien crawled over and gave Little Sammy a hug. “Sammy brave boy. Mummy says
so,” it whispered.

55 visit twinkl.com
 Little Sammy and the Alien
“Loooook.” It pointed through the
window at the stars. “Find Meemu here. Meemu always be here.”

The alien crawled over to its invention, tapped the tablet a few times and then flicked the
hairdryer on. “Bysie,” it said, waving its tiny arms in the air.

“Goodbye, Meemu,” Little Sammy said over the noise of the machine, tears welling in his
eyes. “I’m going to miss you.”

With that, the little creature disappeared.

***
Every night, Little Sammy looked out of his bedroom window and stared at the stars,
wondering if his best friend ever made it home. Months passed, then years, and Little
Sammy grew up and became Big Sammy.

One night, he was reading a bedtime story to his daughter, Little Polly. It was her
favourite story.

“So, the alien lived happily ever after. The end,” he said. He leant over, pecked Little Polly
on her forehead and turned the lights out, just like he always did. But this time, as the
room went dark, he heard a strange tap-tap tapping noise followed by a scratching sound
coming from under Polly’s bed.

“Daddy?” Little Polly said in the dark. “Does it always end with
a happy ending?”

Her father stared at the stars and waited for the final sound.
“Oh, yes, Polly,” he said, as a fluorescent glow reflected in
the window. “It most certainly does!”

Q9: How does Sammy feel as Meemu leaves?

Use evidence from the text to support your answer.

Q10: What is happening in Little Polly’s room at the end of the story?

56 visit twinkl.com
 Little Sammy and the Alien

Q11: Explain how Sammy is similar to his mum by the end of the story.

Q12: Sum up the plot of this extract in thirty words or less.

57 visit twinkl.com
 Step 6 Advancing Reading Skills

Dani and the Machine Wars

“Dani, can you hear me? This is FIRE-bird 1. Over.”

The awful sound of engine thrusters roared somewhere above where

Dani was hiding and she quickly cut the radio link. She held her
breath, praying that the machines hadn’t heard Devlin’s voice. The
roar of the engines changed to a low hum. That wasn’t a good sign. It
meant that the machines were hovering – searching the wreckage for signs
of life. If they had heard the radio message, it would all be over; they wouldn’t
stop until they had found her. And, once they’d found her… well, Dani didn’t want to
think about that. Either way, it was a crummy way to spend a birthday.

Brp, brp brp, brp…

The sound of a scanner-bot came echoing along the corridor. Dani squeezed her legs in
tightly and peered through the grill of the air vent that she was hiding in. It was cramped
and hot and not designed to hold humans. Then again, Dani wasn’t entirely human now
anyway. It was funny, really. She was becoming more like the machines every day.

Brp, brp, brp, brp… vvvvwwwrrrrr…

The scanner-bot stopped right outside the air vent and began to slowly turn. Dani shivered.
She could never get used to the way the bots looked. Small, maybe the size of a football
from that game people played in the last century, scanner-bots were half-metallic, half-
organic, with leathery-looking skin that hung loosely from their body. They were designed
to scout out an area and were always the first droids to enter a battle scene. This one
hovered about a metre from the ground; its three needle-like feelers scanned the air as it
moved. Its sensors lit the corridor in a flickering sea of crimson and edged closer to where
Dani was hiding. If it picked up her life signs, she was in trouble. Dani closed her eyes
and accessed her X-Brain. It was a new app that her father had installed into her mind
just before he’d left for the Machine Wars. With it, she could access her central nervous
system which gave her power over pretty much all of her body’s functions. Dani missed
her father. It just wasn’t the same without any of the adults.

In a matter of milliseconds, Dani had programmed her breathing and heart rate to fall
below what the droid’s scanners would consider ‘alive’. She immediately slumped against
the curved flooring of the vent. She felt sick and she couldn’t move but she had no choice.
It was as if a switch inside her body had been turned to ‘off’.

Vrrrrrrrrrrrr…

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 Dani and the Machine Wars
Red, chequered light shone into Dani’s unblinking eyes
as the scanner-bot identified her lifeless body. “Human female located,” it stated, dryly.
“Downloading files… accessing… Colonel Danielle Hutchens of First Infantry Rebellion
Elite… highly sought after by
Machine-Command…”

“Status,” a different voice crackled over the droid’s com-system.

“Deceased,” the scanner-bot confirmed.

“Initiate retrieval process,” the other voice commanded. Dani’s eyes widened. ‘Retrieval’
was basically a machine way of saying ‘bring it back, chop it up and feed it to our organic
engines’ – not exactly number one on Dani’s birthday list this year, and not what she
was expecting, either. She had assumed that the bot was going to continue scanning the
battered space cruiser.

Time for Plan B, Dani thought to herself, as the droid began burning through the metal
grill with a laser.

Using her X-Brain, Dani instantly brought her heart rate and breathing back to normal
and sprang forward, kicking hard at the metal grill.

“Error,” the scanner bot announced as it went crashing into the opposite wall. Before it
had time to react, Dani jumped down and grabbed the droid, sending an electrical pulse
into its mainframe with her robotic arm. “Err… orrrrrrr…” the machine babbled as it
crashed lifelessly to the floor.

“Now would be a really good time to teleport me out of here!” Dani whispered
as she flicked the radio back online.

“Ah, Hutchens, nice of you to call back. Having fun on your birthday,
are we?” the voice on the radio replied.

“I mean it, Devlin!” Dani hissed, as the machines’ engines roared into
to life somewhere above her. “There’s not much time!”

“With you in ten seconds,” the voice said calmly.

“I don’t think I have 10 seconds!” Dani screamed.

“10, 9, 8, 7, 6…”

The walls began to rattle and vibrate and the roar of the engines became almost unbearable.
Whatever the machines were doing out there, it wasn’t good.

“Quick!” Dani cried.

“5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0.”

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 Dani and the Machine Wars
Nothing happened. The teleport hadn’t worked.
Dani was still on board the doomed space cruiser.

A huge explosion thundered along the corridor and wave of heat crashed into her side.
Dani stumbled backwards, closing her eyes as she fell to the floor.

Suddenly, the noise disappeared, and Dani felt cool again. She opened her eyes. She was
lying on the familiar deck of FIRE-bird 1 with her crew around her.

“Sorry,” Devlin smiled. “I went with eleven seconds in the end.”

“What?” Dani spat, breathing hard and still lying on the floor.

“Eleven… you know, because you’re eleven today? It seemed special,”

Devlin replied, like it was the obvious thing to have done. “Happy
birthday, Colonel!”

Q1: What do you think ‘FIRE-bird 1’ is? Explain your answer.

Q2: ‘Either way, it was a crummy way to spend a birthday...’ How else could the author
have written this line?

Q3: Where was Dani hiding?

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 Dani and the Machine Wars

Q4: ‘Dani wasn’t entirely human now anyway.’ Explain why this sentence is true, using
evidence from the text.

Q5: ‘The scanner-bot stopped right outside the air vent and began to slowly turn. Dani
shivered.’ Why do you think that happened to Dani?

Q6: ‘It just wasn’t the same without any of the adults.’ Where do you think the
adults have gone?

Q7: Find and copy a phrase which the author uses to show that Dani changed
her body’s functions incredibly quickly.

Q8: Red, chequered light shone into Dani’s unblinking eyes...’

Why weren’t Dani’s eyes blinking?

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 Dani and the Machine Wars

Q9: What was so special about the day that the events in this text happened?

Q10: When do you think that this text is set? Use evidence from the text to support your
answer.

Q11: Once back on board FIRE-bird 1, what do you think Dani and the crew
will do next?

Q12: Summarise the key points of this text in 30 words or fewer.

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Features of Non-Fiction Text Types
Broadsheet News Article Tabloid News Article Magazine Article Formal Letter
• Written in third person • Written in third person • Written in first or • Written in first person
• Headline • Catchy headline third person • Your address top right
• Subheading • Subheading • Headline • Their name, job title and
• Picture and caption • Picture and caption • Subheadings (often address top left
throughout) • Date top right
• Who, what, when, where, why • Who, what, when, where, why
in first three paragraphs in first three paragraphs • Language and style • Begins “Dear…,”
tailored to audience
• Quotations included • Quotations included • Ends “Yours sincerely,” or
• Picture and caption “Yours faithfully,”
• Sizeable paragraphs • Short paragraphs
• Formal language • Formal language but some • Inset boxes used • Formal language
slang and puns used • Sizeable paragraphs
Opinion Column Diary Entry / Blog Autobiography Review

63
• Written in first person • Written in first person • Written in first person • Written in first person
• Headline • Date • Often an extract from • Title
• Subheading • Sometimes prefaced a larger work • Details of what is being
• Personal anecdotes included “Dear Diary” • Use of anecdote reviewed, including names
• Personal anecdotes included • Uses past tense of actors/authors etc.
• Rhetorical language included
• Language reflects writer • Personal style • Opinion explained in detail
• Sizeable paragraphs
– usually informal • Informal language • Star rating given
• Formal but personal language
Report Speech Leaflet Informal Letter / Email
• Written in third person • Written in first person • Written in third person • Written in first person
• Title • Begins with formal greeting • Title • Begins with informal greeting
• Subheadings throughout • Sizeable paragraphs • Subheadings throughout • Ends with informal sign-off
• Formal language • Rhetorical devices • Inset boxes • Informal language, adapted
• Facts, figures and statistics • Language adapted to • Images and captions to audience
used audience • Often includes a • Paragraph lengths vary
• Clear, factual conclusion • Memorable sign-off “call to action”
 Test 12

Text A

Extreme sports

Definition
Extreme sports involve a high level of danger – whether it’s jumping from an aircraft, performing
daring mid-air flips on a skateboard, or climbing up a vertical rock face. Great speed, height or
depth is what makes the sport extreme. To do any extreme sport, a person needs to be strong
and skilful; extreme sports push people to their physical and mental limits.

History
Most extreme sports are new sports, but some have been around for a very long time. Rock 5
climbing as a sport dates from the 1880s, but, of course, climbing rocks has been a necessity
throughout history for people who live in mountainous areas. Bungee jumping* developed from
land diving, which has been done for thousands of years. Tribesmen in Vanuatu use land diving
to test the courage of young men.

Equipment
Many extreme sports use specialised equipment designed to keep the people doing them safe. 10
Such equipment may include ropes, helmets, pads and lifejackets. Wearing the right protective
gear can prevent serious injuries. The kit needs to be strong enough to withstand the extreme
conditions and specific to the needs of each sport.

_______________
The ‘X Games’ is an extreme sports competition that happens twice a year. Athletes from
around the world compete for medals, money and prizes. The events can vary, but usually 15
include skiing, snowboarding, BMX biking and skateboarding.

Popularity
Extreme sports are becoming very popular. In fact, activities such as mountain biking and
snowboarding are attracting larger numbers every year, whereas fewer people are doing
traditional sports like basketball, because taking part in extreme sport gives a person an
amazing rush of excitement, and challenges their fears. Moreover, new research shows that 20
people who do extreme sports have better physical and mental health. They become more
confident and motivated in their daily lives.

Glossary
bungee jumping: jumping from a great height while attached to a rope

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Text B

Mountain biking news roundup!

Here are the big stories leading the way this month …

Silverstar Bike Park

New MTB* trails coming soon!

Not far from the beautiful Scottish fishing port of Invertay, exciting things are happening for bike
fanatics. Hidden in the gently rolling countryside is Silverstar Bike Park – a new playground of 5
perfect curving bends and a mind-blowing number of jumps.

Motocross rider and superstar biker Ed Stanway is the guy responsible for bringing the trails to
life. He hopes to open the park this summer and has spent the last six months preparing and
digging, trying to get the trails into shape. Ed’s team have moved huge amounts of earth and
created amazing hill features and rugged trails on this spectacular site overlooking the 10
countryside and nearby sea.

‘With trail grades from easy blue through to double black, there should be something for
everyone here,’ says Ed.

For more information head to our website.

2017 Mountain Bike World Cup 15

The Cross-country and Downhill World Cup kicked off earlier this month in Lourdes, France.
This was the first of six rounds of competitions taking place across the globe. This season’s
programme looks excellent, with some amazing courses and the usual high level of biking
talent.

Mountain Bike Monthly is running a one-off competition this month to win flights and tickets to 20
the final round in Cairns, Australia. This is a fantastic chance to get out there and see the
thrilling finale to the season. See page 60 for entry rules and details. Good luck!

Glossary
MTB: mountain bike

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Section A: Reading

Spend 30 minutes on this section.

Read Text A, in the Insert, and answer Questions 1–9.

1 What makes an extreme sport different from an ordinary sport?

[1]

2 Why is a semicolon ( ; ) used in lines 3–4?

[1]

3 Which extreme sport is related to a custom carried out by people from Vanuatu?

[1]

4 Explain why special equipment is needed to take part in extreme sports. Give
two reasons.

[2]

5 Give two words from the third paragraph (lines 10–13) that mean the same as
‘equipment’.

 [2]

6 The sports chosen for the X Games are not always the same every year.
Give the phrase from the fourth paragraph (lines 14–16) that tells us this.

[1]

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7 Connective words are used to structure the fifth paragraph (lines 17–22). The
table below shows why each connective is used.
Complete the table with connectives from the fifth paragraph.

Reason Connective
to add another idea Moreover

to give the reason for an idea

to introduce an opposite idea

to emphasise an idea

[3]

8 Text A uses paragraphs with subheadings.

(a) Give one reason why subheadings are used in this text.

[1]

(b) Look at the subheadings used in Text A.

Write a subheading that is suitable for the fourth paragraph.

[1]

9 Which of the features below are used throughout Text A? Tick () two boxes.

chronological order

third person

rhetorical questions

past tense

facts and opinions

[2]

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Read Text B, in the Insert, and answer Questions 10–17.

10 Give the sentence that tells you that Text B is about the most important new
events in mountain biking at the moment.

[1]

11 Read lines 4–6.

Give one noun that tells us Silverstar Bike Park is a fun place.

[1]

12 One natural feature that can be seen from the bike park is rolling countryside
(line 5).
Look at lines 7–11.
Give another natural feature that can be seen.

[1]

13 What does the colour of the trail tell the rider?

[1]

14 Who or what is the biking talent (lines 18–19)? Tick () one box.

the trails

the bikes

the jumps

the riders

[1]

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15 This question is about the 2017 Bike World Cup section of Text B.
The writer uses language to persuade the reader to enter the competition.
Complete the table below.

Persuasive language Example from the text

speaking directly to the reader Good luck!

using powerful adjectives

saying it’s your only chance

[2]

16 Text B is a news report from a sports magazine. One feature of a news report is a
short, bold headline.
Give two more features of a news report used in Text B.

 [2]

17 Text A and Text B are different genres, but their purpose is the same.
What is the purpose of both Text A and Text B? Tick () one box.

to advise

to argue

to recount

to inform

[1]

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 Test 13

Text A

The body factory

The human body is a mobile chemical factory. As in any factory, materials have
to enter it to be processed, or changed, into something useful. Food, as well as
water and oxygen, enters the body and goes through a series of complicated
chemical reactions called metabolism.

Metabolism produces energy which can be put to work in all kinds of ways so 5
that the human body can function properly. For example, it maintains body
temperature, helps to make new cells and permits humans to do things like run
and jump. At the end of the process any waste matter is expelled from the body.

The food you eat can be divided into several categories. The three main ones are
fat, carbohydrate and protein. Fat provides almost twice as much energy as 10
carbohydrate or protein. However, there are good fats and bad fats. Generally,
fat that goes solid at room temperature is bad, and fat that stays runny is good.
The ‘bad’ fats, or saturated fats, are the ones to avoid and are found in foods like
pizza, biscuits and crisps. The ‘good’ fats, or unsaturated fats, are better for the
body. They are present in foods like nuts, avocados, olive oil and fish, such as 15
salmon and tuna. Fat is essential for: the immune system (the body system
which helps fight against disease); keeping joints in working order; and healthy
hair, nails and skin.

There are two main types of carbohydrates – simple and complex. Simple
carbohydrates are known as sugars. They provide instant energy, but not energy 20
that lasts. It is much better to use a fuel that releases its energy slowly – and this
is where complex carbohydrates come in. They are found in food such as
wholemeal bread, nuts and oats. They provide a long-lasting source of energy.

Proteins are important to the body because they provide the ‘building bricks’ that
make new cells and repair or replace old ones. They are found in foods like 25
meat, fish, eggs and milk.

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Text B

Meat the future of food

Test-tube burgers anyone?

Did you know that in many countries the price of meat could double over the next
few years, making your hamburger an expensive luxury! Some time ago, clever
Dutch scientists came up with a solution – they produced meat in a science
laboratory! And now scientists around the world are competing to be the first to
create the cheapest, best-tasting ‘test-tube burgers’. Those developed so far 5
apparently taste ‘almost like meat’, but are not as juicy and ‘surprisingly …
crunchy!!’ Mmm, crunchy burgers … yum!

What about insects for dinner?

Yes, really! Not convinced? Well, insects could become a staple of your diet if
meat becomes scarce. They provide as much nutritional value as ordinary meat
and, according to researchers, are a great source of protein. There are actually a 10
staggering 1,400 species that are edible. What’s more, insect burgers and
sausages (made of ground crickets or grasshoppers) are so far a much closer
match to the real thing than the stuff produced in laboratories.

Or perhaps dinner with sound?

If I asked you what makes your favourite dish so appealing before you’ve even
tasted it, you’d probably describe to me the way it looks and smells. Right? But 15
researchers at Oxford University have found that the way we think food tastes
can be altered by different background sounds. World famous chef Heston
Blumenthal has been doing his own experiments. He now serves one of his
dishes accompanied by a recording of the sounds of the seaside; supposedly this
makes people think the food tastes fresher! 20

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Section A: Reading

Spend 30 minutes on this section.

Read Text A about how our bodies use food, in the Insert, and then answer
questions 1–9.

1 Which literary technique is used in the first paragraph (lines 1–4)?

Tick () one box.

a simile

alliteration

a metaphor

onomatopoeia

[1]

2 Look at the second paragraph (lines 5–8).

(a) Give one word that means ‘allows’.

[1]

(b) Give one thing that metabolism does for the human body.

[1]

3 Look at this phrase: … any waste matter is expelled from the body. (Line 8)

is expelled is an example of a passive verb form.

Give one more example of a passive verb form from the third paragraph (lines
9–18).

[1]

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4 Which food category provides the most energy?

[1]

5 In the third paragraph, brackets () are used.

Why are they used? Tick () one box.

to give a definition

to give an example

to add a personal opinion

to add dramatic emphasis

[1]

6 Why do you think it is important for athletes to eat foods like nuts and fish?
Give two reasons using information from the text.

[2]

7 Why would an athlete eat a sugary snack just before competing in a race?

[1]

8 Look at the fifth paragraph (lines 24–26).

Why are inverted commas ( ‘ ’ ) used?

[1]

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9 (a) The writer uses bold for some words in the first three paragraphs. These
words are the main topics of the paragraphs.
Give one other technique writers use to show the main topic of a
paragraph.

[1]

(b) Give one word from the fourth paragraph and one word from the fifth
paragraph which should be in bold to tell us the topics of those
paragraphs.
•

• [2]

Read Text B about the future of food, in the Insert, and answer questions 10–16.

10 How has the writer tried to be funny in the heading?

[1]

11 Why is there research to find a replacement for meat?

[1]

12 How do you think the writer feels about eating test-tube burgers? Give a
quotation from the text to support your answer.

• Writer’s feelings:

• Quotation:

[2]

13 Give one reason why insects would be a good source of food for humans.

[1]

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14 What does a staple mean in the way it is used in line 8? Tick () one box.

a main part

a delicious part

a healthy part

an optional part

[1]

15 What does the real thing (line 13) refer to?

[1]

16 (a) Look at this phrase: this makes people think the food tastes fresher (lines
19–20).
This is not the writer’s opinion. Give one word that tells us this.

[1]

(b) From the second paragraph, give another example of an opinion that is not
the writer’s.

[1]

17 Give three typical features used in Text B of an informal text.

•

• [3]

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 Test 14

Text B

The Children’s Guide to Nature-watching

Urban environment

Towns and cities can be great places for watching wildlife. In some places, they
are even better than the surrounding countryside because parks, gardens and
waste ground provide a range of habitats that may no longer exist elsewhere in
the area.

In general, if you are looking for wildlife in towns and cities, try to find the oldest, 5
untidiest places. Neat, modern places have less wildlife. Lakes in city parks, and
rivers running through towns, are great for birds, and you may even see
dragonflies, ducks or frogs there.

Buildings

Some urban wildlife, from nesting sparrows to bats and sometimes even
hedgehogs, depends on buildings. Some birds may roost in towns in winter 10
because it’s warmer there than in the countryside. Tall buildings can also provide
nesting sites for birds of prey, kestrels for instance, and seemingly empty corners
of building sites can have all sorts of insects and wild flowers. Even cracks in
pavements or walls will be colonised by wild flowers. Don't think of them as just
weeds – they are a valuable food source for many insects. 15

Enjoy life

The key for the urban wildlife watcher is just to keep your eyes open. And when
you spot something, try to find out a bit about it and enjoy it for its own sake. It’s
alive, it’s here and it’s fascinating!

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Now read Text B in the insert, and answer questions 12–15.

12 Look at the first and second paragraphs (lines 1–8).

(a) Why does the writer say that it is sometimes better to look for wildlife in
urban areas?

[1]

(b) Give one superlative adjective.

[1]

(c) Lakes and rivers are good places to see birds.

Give one example from the text of other wildlife you can find in lakes and
rivers.

[1]

13 Look at the third paragraph (lines 9–15).

(a) Give one verb from the text which means ‘rest’ or ‘sleep’.

[1]

(b) Look at lines 11–13.

Why have commas ( , ) been used in this sentence? Tick () one box.

to add a comment

to give an example

to separate items in a list

to give the writer’s opinion

[1]

(c) Give one passive verb form from the third paragraph.

[1]

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14 Look at the last paragraph (lines 16–18).

(a) Give one phrase which means ‘to watch carefully for something’.

[1]

(b) In the last sentence, how does the writer emphasise the excitement of
seeing wildlife?
•

• [2]

15 In Text B the writer uses paragraphs to structure the text.

What other feature does the writer also use to structure Text B?

[1]

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 Test 15
Section A: Reading

Spend 20 minutes on this section.

Read the text and then answer the questions.

Swimming the English Channel

The English Channel is 34 kilometres across at the shortest point, from 1st paragraph
Dover in England to Cap Gris Nez in France. Every year, hundreds of
people attempt to swim across this part of the channel, but the success
rate is lower than 10%, and the swim has become known as ‘the Everest
of open-water swimming’.
‘There are a lot of factors that combine to make the swim hard but the 2nd
cold is the biggest hurdle,’ says Alison Streeter, who holds the world
record with a staggering 43 successful swims across the channel.
‘It’s not about the distance – lots of people can swim the equivalent in a 3rd
pool,’ she says, ‘It comes down to the cold. Athletic swimmers are often all
muscle and don’t have much fat on them. This means they get cold more
quickly, and once cold gets into your muscles it is very hard to continue.’
Besides hypothermia* and the risk of cramp*, there are also external 4th
horrors to contemplate such as jellyfish and raw sewage. Then, because
this is a shipping lane, there are 600 commercial ship movements and 80
to 100 ferry crossings between Dover and Calais every day to avoid.
The tides in this part of the Channel are particularly strong and change 5th
direction approximately every six hours. The wind and weather are a
problem too as the Dover Straits are dominated by local weather
conditions that can change very quickly and are hard to forecast
accurately.
The first person to swim unassisted across the Straits of Dover was 6th
Captain Matthew Webb on 25 August 1875. The current world record
holder for the fastest Channel swim is Christof Wandratsch, a German
athlete, who completed his swim in just over seven hours in 2005. The
youngest person to make the crossing, a boy called Thomas Gregory,
was just 11 years old.
Glossary
hypothermia: the condition of having an extremely low body temperature
cramp: contraction of muscles

1 Name the places at either side of the narrow part of the English Channel.
[1]
2 Why do fit athletes in particular have problems with the cold when they are
trying to swim across the English Channel?
[1]

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3 Tick () two boxes to show what problems, according to the text,
swimmers may encounter when they attempt to swim across the Channel.

private sailing boats

sea birds

shark attacks

ships and ferries

waste matter [2]

4 Rewrite the fifth paragraph to include most of the main points, using no
more than 25 words.

[2]

5 Tick () the best description of the text Swimming the English Channel.

It contains only facts.

It contains mostly facts.

It contains mostly opinions.

It contains about half facts and half opinions. [1]

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6 Compare these texts.

Text 1 Text 2

You should start training for your It’s a good idea to start training for
swim months in advance. You can your swim a few months ahead of it.
start this at your local pool. Most Your local pool is a great place to
Channel swimmers, however, start with but it’s probably best to get
acclimatise themselves to local used to the really cold water by
conditions on the beaches of taking a dip in the sea at Folkestone
Folkestone or Hythe in England. or Hythe in England.

The information in both texts is the same but the language used is different.

Tick () the text you prefer to read.

Text 1

Text 2

Explain why you chose that text.

[1]

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 Test 16

Read this text about jellyfish, and then answer the questions.

Facts about jellyfish

What are jellyfish?

Jellyfish have existed for more than 650 million years and happen to be the
oldest living creatures on the planet. Despite their name, they are not fish
but simple marine invertebrates.

What are they made of?

The jellyfish body lacks any skeletal structure, and is made up of a
gelatinous or jelly-like substance which is 95% water. This is protected by a
thin outer layer called an epidermis. Only 5% of the jellyfish body is solid
matter. They have no heart, lungs, brain or nervous system. Some, though,
possess eye spots capable of sensing light from dark.

How do they breathe?

The walls of their bodies and tentacles are so thin that oxygen is able to
pass directly from the water into their internal organs.

Why do some jellyfish sting?

Some jellyfish have millions of very small cells in their tentacles called
nematocysts. These cells are used to capture food by injecting toxin into
the prey.

How do they swim?

Jellyfish swim by jet propulsion. The jellyfish will expand then quickly
contract its bell-shaped body, which forces water away from the bell and
pushes the jellyfish in the opposite direction.

What do they eat?

They feed on tiny fish, larvae, crustaceans and zooplankton. Some even
eat other jellyfish!

7 (a) Which animal group does the jellyfish belong to?

[1]

(b) In which part of a jellyfish do you find nematocyst cells?

[1]

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8 Tick () two boxes to show which statements about jellyfish are FALSE.

The outer layer of a jellyfish is called gelatine.

Jellyfish existed before sharks.

Some jellyfish eat each other.

Jellyfish absorb oxygen through their mouth opening.

The body of a jellyfish consists mainly of water. [2]

9 Using the text, explain why the body of a jellyfish collapses as soon as it is
removed from water.

[1]

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10 These questions refer to both texts.

(a) What is the purpose of the sub-headings in the text Facts about
jellyfish?

[1]

(b) In the text Swimming the English Channel, paragraphs are used.

Draw lines to link each paragraph with its main topic. The first two
have been done for you.

1st
Who are the world record holders?
paragraph

2nd
What is the English Channel swim?
paragraph

3rd What other factors make it difficult to

paragraph swim across the Channel?

4th What is the main problem you face when

paragraph swimming across the Channel?

5th
Why is the cold such a problem?
paragraph

6th Why can the tides and weather conditions also

paragraph make the swim difficult to complete?
[1]

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 Test 17
Text A

The Aztecs
A powerful civilisation in Mexico over 700 years ago

What was Aztec family life like?

Family life was important to the Aztecs. Within the family, everybody had a role.
Husbands generally worked outside the home as farmers, craftsmen or as
soldiers. Wives worked at home, weaving cloth for the family’s clothes and
cooking.

What did Aztec children do?

Surprisingly, by law, all Aztec children had to go to school. At that time in history, 5
girls from many other civilisations were not educated. Aztec boys and girls went to
separate schools. Boys learned about farming or learned a craft such as pottery
or feather-work. They also learned about their religion, and how to fight. Girls
were taught about religion too, and how to cook and make clothing.

What kinds of homes did Aztecs live in?

The wealthiest people lived near the main square in large stone houses. These 10
houses had several rooms and some even had an upstairs. There was a separate
room for bathing. Inside the house, the walls were painted in bright colours.
Poorer people lived on the edge of the city in simple, undecorated homes made of
sun-dried mud. These houses usually had only one big room, which was divided
into different areas with no upstairs. 15

What did Aztec people wear?

There were astonishingly strict rules about clothing in Aztec society. These rules
included laws about the decorations and colours people could wear. For example,
only the most important people could wear clothing decorated with feathers, and
only the emperor could wear a turquoise-coloured cloak.

What was the Aztec diet like?

Maize, a food similar to corn, was a staple. The other typical foods were beans 20
and squash. Besides these, Aztecs sometimes ate fish, honey or snake meat.
And the cocoa bean, considered highly valuable by the Aztecs, was made into a
chocolate drink.

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Section A: Reading

Spend 30 minutes on this section.

Read Text A, in the Insert, and answer questions 1–10.

1 What three jobs did Aztec men do?



 [1]

2 Explain why the writer is surprised that all Aztec children went to school.

[1]

3 In school, children were taught the skills they needed for adult life.
What else does the text say they studied?

[1]

4 How were the homes of rich Aztecs different from the homes of ordinary Aztecs?
Complete the table below.

Homes of rich Aztecs Homes of ordinary Aztecs

near the main square

made of sun-dried mud

[4]

5 What kind of Aztec people wore feathered cloaks?

[1]

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 3

6 (a) What did the Aztecs think about the colour turquoise?

[1]

(b) Give evidence from the text to support your answer.

[1]

7 Find an example of an opinion in the fourth paragraph.

[1]

8 Which noun in the fifth paragraph means any food that is eaten regularly?

[1]

9 ‘And the cocoa bean, considered highly valuable by the Aztecs, was made into
a chocolate drink.’ (Lines 22–23)
Why are commas ( , ) used in the sentence above?
Tick () one box.

to emphasise

to give an example

to add information

to list items [1]

10 In Text A, questions are used as headings. Explain how this helps the reader.
Give two ways.

 [2]

© UCLES 2018
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 TEST 18 YEAR 6

THE ARTIST'S GARDEN

FAQs
BEST-SELLING GIVERNY TOURS
How long is the visit?
BOOK ONLINE NOW from £62 Average: 1 hr 15 min
depending how long
visitors wish to admire
Every day from 28th March – 1st November the view.
Claude Monet
your personal guide is available to provide a tour
of Monet’s beautiful garden at Giverny, the setting that inspired Is Monet’s house part of
the tour?
so many of his brilliant paintings.
Guides are not allowed
Ticket includes entrance to Monet’s home and garden inside but you can visit
Gain an insight into the art and family life of Monet on your own.
Admire the lily pond that inspired so many of his paintings
Can I bring my dog?
Tour includes an English-speaking guide Dogs and other pets are
This delightful, relaxing 5-star tour will whisk you away from the not permitted.
hubbub of Paris to the peaceful village, where Monet – a green-
Can I bring my children?
fingered gardener as well as a famous painter – created the glorious Yes, if accompanied by
garden, which was the subject of so many of his amazing masterpieces. a responsible adult.
Your well-informed guide will delve into the past to help you enter the They must remain calm
and respect the premises
picture of Monet’s life. Stand and admire his house with its famous
and other visitors.
pink façade and green shutters. Stroll, as he did, among the colourful
flowerbeds. Pause to absorb the beauty of the climbing plants. Can I have a picnic in the
Witness for yourself the Japanese garden?
footbridge and the joyful sight of Picnics are not allowed.
the water-lily pond. Often referred
Is photography allowed?
to as the ‘Painter of Light’, Monet Only from designated
would paint the same landscape at walkways.
different times of day in order to
capture changes in the light in the Is there wheelchair
access?
morning, afternoon and evening. CHECK AVAILABILITY
Yes, though it is not part
of the guide’s role to push
CUSTOMER REVIEWS
the wheelchair.

Gorgeous, unforgettable experience Garden and house were amazing What if I cancel?
like stepping into another world. but not the place for two lively six Money will be refunded
We loved the souvenir shop. Would year-olds. Unfortunately, it poured up to 30 days before the
recommend this... K. James, Derby that day... B. Johnson, London tour, but not afterwards.

© Copyright HeadStart Primary Ltd. 88

 TEST B YEAR 6

1 Pick out one feature that tells you this is a web page.

1 mark

2 Who is available to give visitors a tour of the garden?

1 mark

3 Why has the length of the tour been given as an average?

1 mark

4 Does the ticket include being able to look inside Monet's house?

1 mark

5 What do you think would happen if you came to have a picnic?

1 mark

6 Monet's garden is described as beautiful.

Find and write down three other phrases used to make the garden

sound attractive to visitors.

1.

2.

3. 3 marks

© Copyright HeadStart Primary Ltd.

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 TEST 18 YEAR 6

7 The text contains some words and phrases that are facts.

Others are opinions.

Decide whether the following words and phrases are facts or

opinions and put a tick in the correct box.

words or phrases fact opinion

best-selling

Every day from 28th March - 1st November

delightful, relaxing 5-star tour

his amazing masterpieces

2 marks

8 Gardeners are sometimes described as green-fingered.

Why do you think this is? Tick one sentence.

They are very messy.

They are very good at gardening.

They get green paint on their fingers.

1 mark

9 Stand and admire his house. . .

Why does this phrase sound like instructions?

1 mark

© Copyright HeadStart Primary Ltd.

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 TEST B YEAR 6

10 Monet is described as the Painter of Light.

What was special about how he painted?

1 mark

11 What are the clues that suggest it may not be the right place for

lively children?

2 marks

12 A customer review states, 'like stepping into another world'.

Find a similar phrase in the text.

1 mark

13 Tick one word or phrase that is similar in meaning to unforgettable.

easily forgotten

dramatic

memorable
1 mark

© Copyright HeadStart Primary Ltd.

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91 Page Total
 TEST 19 YEAR 6

The Harry Potter Train

Did you know you can make a reservation on the Hogwarts Express? You don’t have
to be a friend of Harry Potter or wait for a letter to be delivered by an owl. It is the
actual steam engine used in the films and, once aboard, you will cross the bridge
that leads to Hogwarts.
Attracting Potter fans and
tourists from around the
world, the popular route
of this train, known as the
Jacobite, is to be found
in a beautiful part of
Scotland.

A Landcape of Extremes
The route of the locomotive called the Jacobite is considered by many people to
be the most awe-inspiring there is. It is a journey of extremes, beginning in Fort
William, the largest town in the Highlands, near the highest mountain in Britain:
Ben Nevis. The route takes you through some spectacular scenery, passing the UK’s
deepest freshwater lake, Loch Morar, and the shortest river, River Morar.

One breathtaking highlight is crossing the Glenfinnan Viaduct – a bridge with

twenty-one arches, famously shown in many films, including Harry Potter.

The journey terminates at the fishing village of Mallaig. When you travel to this part
of the world, you have access to silvery beaches, clear blue seas and the chance to
spot wildlife: soaring golden eagles, secretive red deer and adorable grey seals. You
will also have access to boat trips to some of the small islands off the mainland. If
you’re less adventurous, there is always the availability of delicious fish and chips.

Reviews
My son booked this holiday for me, even This was a dream-come-true for me,
though I’m not really a Harry Potter fan. being Harry’s hugest fan ever. Lots of
I think he is, however. We had booked selfies – me in front of the train, me in
tea and cakes on the Jacobite, but I’d front of mountains, me in front of the
eaten so much fish and chips in Mallaig, lochs, me running away from a stag!
my son had to finish off all the cakes. Potterheads! Go for it!
Mrs H, Bristol DD, Aberdeen

© Copyright HeadStart Primary Ltd. 92

 TEST 19 YEAR 6

1 Find and write down a phrase that means book a ticket.

1 mark

2 How do we know that the journey of the Jacobite is popular?

2 marks

3 Find another word used in the text for train.

1 mark

4 How does the writer describe the town of Fort William?

2 marks

5 The writer suggests that if you were in Fort William, you'd be sure to
see a special feature in the landscape. What would it be?

2 marks

6 Number these places on the journey in the correct order.

Mallaig

Fort William

Glenfinnan Viaduct
2 marks

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 TEST 19 YEAR 6

7 In the section, A Land of Extremes, there are three phrases that

emphasise the beauty of the landscape. Write them here.

1)

2)

3)
2 marks

8 Write a sub-heading for each of the three paragraphs in A Landscape

of Extremes.
1)

2)

3) 2 marks

9 How do we know the writer is trying to make the trip sound

appealing to people who like different holiday experiences?

2 marks

10 Do you think Mrs H from Bristol had as much fun as her son?
Give reasons for your answer.

3 marks

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 TEST 19 YEAR 6

11 If a tourist, who was not a Harry Potter fan, booked a seat on the train,
what do you think they might take photographs of?
Write down three things.

1)

2)

3)
3 marks

12 Imagine you have just stepped off the Jacobite at journey's end.
What do you think you would tell your friends about?
Write your review here.

2 marks

13 Why do you think the writer has called the second section
A Landscape of Extremes?

2 marks

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 TEST 19 YEAR 6

14 Write down three examples of persuasive phrases the writer uses

to describe the wildlife.

1)

2)

3)
2 marks

15 How does A Landscape of Extremes differ from the reviews?

2 marks

END OF TEST 5

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