Question 1

My brother forgot to bring his lunch so I shared ____ with him.

Accepted Answer

(3) mine. The correct word to fill the blank is a possessive pronoun that refers to the speaker's lunch. 'Mine' is a possessive pronoun. 'Me' is an object pronoun, 'my' is a possessive adjective, and 'myself' is a reflexive pronoun. Thus, 'I shared my lunch with him' is correctly expressed as 'I shared mine with him'.

Question 2

There are ____ apples left in the basket. We need to buy more.

Accepted Answer

(1) a few. 'Apples' is a countable noun. 'A few' is used with countable nouns to indicate a small quantity. 'A little' and 'a bit of' are used with uncountable nouns. While 'a lot of' can be used with countable nouns, the phrase 'We need to buy more' suggests that the quantity left is small, making 'a few' the most appropriate choice.

Question 3

The agile cat swiftly jumped ____ the fence and ran into our neighbour's garden.

Accepted Answer

(2) over. To get to the other side of a fence, an animal would typically jump 'over' it. 'On' implies being on top, 'under' implies being beneath, and 'beside' implies being next to, none of which fit the action of crossing a fence to enter a garden.

Question 4

Mr Lim ____ a book when the pizza delivery man rang the bell.

Accepted Answer

(4) was reading. The phrase 'when the pizza delivery man rang the bell' indicates a specific point in the past. The action of Mr Lim reading was ongoing at that moment in the past. Therefore, the past continuous tense 'was reading' is the correct choice to describe the continuous action interrupted or co-occurring with a past single event.

Question 5

"The swarm of locusts ____ flying towards the field of crops! What do we do?" cried the farmers in dismay.

Accepted Answer

(1) is. The subject 'swarm' is a collective noun and is treated as a singular unit. Therefore, it requires a singular verb. The exclamation 'What do we do?' indicates a present tense situation. Thus, 'is' is the correct singular present tense verb.

Question 6

____ my mother worries for my safety, I am confident I am able to go to school by myself.

Accepted Answer

(2) While. 'While' is used to introduce a contrasting or concessionary statement. In this sentence, it highlights the contrast between the mother's worry and the speaker's confidence. 'As' typically means 'because' or 'at the same time as'. 'Unless' introduces a condition. 'However' is an adverbial conjunction used to show contrast, but it typically follows a semicolon or a period and connects independent clauses, not starting a dependent clause in this structure.

Question 7

Min Hui might ____ at the talent time contest if she is able to recover from her sore throat in time.

Accepted Answer

(1) sing. After a modal verb like 'might', the base form of the verb (infinitive without 'to') is used. The base form of 'sing' is 'sing'. 'Sang' is past tense, 'sung' is past participle, and 'sings' is third-person singular present tense.

Question 8

"You haven't seen my keys, ____ you?" asked Father, searching the drawer frantically.

Accepted Answer

(4) have. This is a tag question. The main clause 'You haven't seen my keys' uses the auxiliary verb 'have' in its negative form ('haven't'). To form the tag question, we use the positive form of the same auxiliary verb, 'have'.

Question 9

"Shall we buy ____ vegetables? They look fresh," asked Grandma, holding a couple of stalks in her hands.

Accepted Answer

(3) these. 'Vegetables' is a plural noun. Since Grandma is holding the stalks in her hands, they are close to her. The plural demonstrative pronoun for close objects is 'these'. 'This' and 'that' are singular, and 'those' refers to plural objects that are further away.

Question 10

By the time Khairul and his family arrived at the cinema, the movie ____.

Accepted Answer

(4) had started. This sentence describes two actions in the past: Khairul's family arriving and the movie starting. The phrase 'By the time...' indicates that the movie starting happened before their arrival. To show an action that was completed before another action in the past, the past perfect tense ('had started') is used.

Question 11

The leopard crept up quietly on its ____ before pouncing on it.

Accepted Answer

(4) prey. A leopard is a predator, meaning it hunts other animals. The animal it hunts and feeds on is its 'prey'. 'Carnivore' describes what a leopard is (a meat-eater). 'Herbivore' describes a plant-eater. 'Predator' describes the role of the leopard itself, not the animal it pounces on.

Question 12

The soldiers smeared green paint all over their faces to ____ themselves in the dense jungle.

Accepted Answer

(4) camouflage. 'Camouflage' specifically refers to the act of blending in with the surroundings to avoid detection, typically used in military contexts or for hunting. While 'mask', 'cover', and 'disguise' involve concealment, 'camouflage' is the most precise term for what soldiers do with paint in a jungle environment.

Question 13

The peacock strutted proudly and fanned its long tail, showing off the ____ colours.

Accepted Answer

(3) vibrant. Peacocks are known for their spectacular, intense, and lively colours. 'Vibrant' best describes these strong, bright, and energetic colours. 'Dull' and 'pale' are opposites. 'Radiant' implies shining, but 'vibrant' captures the depth and richness of the colours more comprehensively.

Question 14

The pickpocket glanced ____ to ensure no one was looking and fished out the victim's wallet.

Accepted Answer

(2) furtively. 'Furtively' means in a way that attempts to avoid notice or attention; secretively. This accurately describes the sly, hidden nature of a pickpocket's glance to ensure no one sees their illicit act. While 'stealthily' is similar, 'furtively' specifically highlights the secretive intention behind the glance.

Question 15

Which of the following activities is conducted in both workshops?

Accepted Answer

(4) feeding a Venus flytrap plant. According to the advertisement:
- Workshop A: 'Watch a Venus Flytrap in action during the feeding session'.
- Workshop B: 'Watch a Venus Flytrap in action during the feeding session'.
This activity is common to both, which aligns with 'feeding a Venus flytrap plant'. Playing games, doing experiments, and creating a notebook are exclusive to either Workshop A or B.

Question 16

The aim of the Power Plant Workshop advertisement is to ____

Accepted Answer

(4) encourage children to sign up for their workshop. The primary purpose of an advertisement is to persuade potential participants to register for the event or purchase the product. The advertisement uses phrases like 'DON'T MISS THIS EXCITING SCIENCE WORKSHOP!' and includes registration details and a call to action ('Act fast to avoid disappointment!'), all geared towards encouraging sign-ups. While the other options describe aspects of the workshop content, they are not the overall aim of the advertisement itself.

Question 17

Twelve-year-old Jing Hui will ____ if she signs up for the workshop B.

Accepted Answer

(3) bring home a tank which she set up. Jing Hui is twelve, placing her in the 11-14 age group for Workshop B. The details for Workshop B state: 'Set up own tank with bug-eating plants and bring your creation home'.
- (1) Paying $60 is for Workshop A; Workshop B costs $80.
- (2) Playing games is an activity in Workshop A.
- (4) Observing how Venus flytraps survive in the wild is covered in Workshop A ('learn about their habitats and diets ✓ how these unusual plants survive in the wild').

Question 18

Which of the following statements is true?

Accepted Answer

(2) The Venus flytrap plants provided at the workshop are healthier.. Let's evaluate each statement:
- (1) Workshop A costs $60, Workshop B costs $80. So Workshop A costs less than Workshop B. (False)
- (2) The advertisement states: 'Why are our Venus flytraps so special? Unlike regular ones, our plants stay healthy for a long time.' This implies their plants are healthier. (True)
- (3) The advertisement explicitly mentions 'Limited vacancies. Act fast to avoid disappointment!'. This means not every child interested will have a place. (False)
- (4) The enquiry hotline operates 'Mondays to Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.'. It is closed on Sundays. (False)

Question 19

The night watchman was distracted by ____ [1m]

Accepted Answer

(3) a cat. The first paragraph states: 'Tom slipped past the night watchman who was distracted by a cat and hid among wheat sacks aboard a ship.' This explicitly identifies 'a cat' as the distraction.

P3 English CA2 2025 — CHIJ

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