Question 1

The news reports were focused ____ the art piece that went missing from the museum.

Accepted Answer

B. on. The phrasal verb 'focused on' means to direct attention or effort towards something. In this context, the news reports directed their attention to the art piece. Options A, C, and D do not form the correct phrasal verb.

Question 2

"It is very cloudy today. I think it ____ rain later," Ali told his sister.

Accepted Answer

C. might. 'Might' is used to express possibility or probability. Given the cloudy weather, rain is a possibility. 'Can' expresses ability, 'shall' expresses intention or certainty (often for future actions), and 'ought to' expresses obligation or advisability, none of which fit the context of predicting possible rain.

Question 3

The teenager finally apologised for his mistake after ____ reflection.

Accepted Answer

B. much. 'Reflection' in this context is an uncountable noun referring to serious thought or consideration. 'Much' is used with uncountable nouns to indicate a large quantity or degree. 'Little' would imply insufficient thought, while 'many' and 'several' are used with countable nouns. Therefore, 'much reflection' is the appropriate choice to indicate a significant period of thinking.

Question 4

Everyone should be taught about the importance of ____ energy.

Accepted Answer

C. conserving. The phrase 'the importance of' is typically followed by a gerund (verb + -ing acting as a noun) or a noun. 'Conserving' is the gerund form of the verb 'conserve', fitting grammatically as the object of the preposition 'of'. 'Conservation of energy' is also correct, but 'conserving energy' is more direct and frequently used in this construction.

Question 5

Gwen, as well as her cousins, ____ spending the weekends swimming at the beach.

Accepted Answer

B. enjoys. When two subjects are joined by 'as well as', the verb agrees with the first subject. In this sentence, the first subject is 'Gwen', which is singular. Therefore, the singular present tense verb 'enjoys' is correct. The action is habitual, hence simple present tense.

Question 6

Raju remembered fondly how his grandfather helped him ____ sandcastles when he was young.

Accepted Answer

B. build. After the verb 'help' followed by an object (him), the base form of the verb (infinitive without 'to') is used. So, 'helped him build' is the correct construction.

Question 7

Amir likes reading detective novels, ____ he?

Accepted Answer

D. doesn't. This is a tag question. The main clause 'Amir likes reading detective novels' is in the simple present tense and is positive. Therefore, the tag question must be negative and in the simple present tense. 'Doesn't he?' is the correct tag.

Question 8

Sulin ____ for someone to look after her pets before she left for her vacation last December.

Accepted Answer

C. had arranged. The sentence describes two past actions: Sulin arranging for pet care and Sulin leaving for vacation. The arranging happened before she left. When one past action occurs before another past action, the earlier action is expressed using the past perfect tense ('had arranged').

Question 9

____ traffic was heavy, we decided to postpone our plans and stay home instead.

Accepted Answer

B. Since. 'Since' means 'because' or 'as', indicating a reason or cause. The heavy traffic was the reason for postponing plans and staying home. 'Until' implies a time limit, 'unless' implies a condition (if not), and 'although' implies a contrast, none of which fit the context.

Question 10

The lady ____ owns that famous bakery used to run a hawker stall.

Accepted Answer

A. who. 'Who' is a relative pronoun used to refer to a person when they are the subject of the clause. Here, 'who' refers to 'the lady' and is the subject of the verb 'owns'. 'Which' is for things, 'whom' is an object pronoun for people, and 'whose' indicates possession.

Question 11

The manager of this restaurant received many ____ for the excellent service he provided to his customers.

Accepted Answer

D. compliments. Given the 'excellent service', the manager would receive expressions of praise or admiration, which are 'compliments'. 'Opinions', 'comments', and 'observations' are more general terms for feedback and do not specifically connote praise.

Question 12

Kim is a ____ person as she does not give up on her goals in spite of the many setbacks she has faced.

Accepted Answer

B. tenacious. 'Tenacious' means persistent, determined, and not easily discouraged, which perfectly describes someone who does not give up on goals despite setbacks. 'Tolerant' means able to endure, 'discerning' means having good judgment, and 'long-suffering' means patiently enduring hardship, which are less precise fits for the context of not giving up on goals.

Question 13

The hotel staff helped us to ____ the address of the wildlife park we wanted to visit.

Accepted Answer

B. look up. The phrasal verb 'look up' means to search for information, typically in a reference source or online. Here, the staff would search for the address. 'Look on' means to watch, 'look into' means to investigate, and 'look after' means to take care of.

Question 14

The community centre ____ a variety of programmes to cater to the interests of the young and old.

Accepted Answer

A. offers. A community centre typically 'offers' services or programmes to its members or the public. 'Displays' means to show, 'enforces' means to compel observance of, and 'implements' means to put into effect, none of which fit as well as 'offers' in this context.

Question 15

Mrs Lee listened ____ to the salesman on the telephone call as she was worried it might be a scam.

Accepted Answer

A. warily. 'Warily' means cautiously or suspiciously. If Mrs Lee was worried about a scam, she would listen with caution and suspicion. 'Eagerly' implies enthusiasm, 'nonchalantly' implies casually or indifferently, and 'sympathetically' implies showing pity or understanding, none of which fit the context of being worried about a scam.

Question 16

May, a blind girl of twelve, held tightly to Yuna's harness as they made their way to her music class. Yuna, her loyal golden retriever guide dog, moved with gentle confidence. May smiled as she heard Yuna's paws tapping steadily on the pavement.

Accepted Answer

D. constantly. 'Steadily' in this context describes the continuous and rhythmic tapping of paws. 'Constantly' means continually or without interruption, which is the closest in meaning. 'Slowly' describes speed, 'intently' describes focus, and 'habitually' describes a routine, but not the continuous nature of the tapping.

Question 17

At the zebra crossing, May got ready to cross the road. Suddenly, Yuna stopped, pulling May back with surprising strength. "What's wrong, Yuna?" May cried out, tightening her hands around the harness.

Accepted Answer

B. gripping. 'Tightening her hands around the harness' implies a firm and strong hold. 'Gripping' means to hold firmly. 'Holding' is a general term, 'yanking' means pulling sharply, and 'snatching' means taking quickly, none of which accurately convey the firmness implied by 'tightening'.

Question 18

A piercing honk ripped through the air as a speeding car zoomed by. May's heart pounded in her chest and her hands trembled, recognising how close she had come to danger. She knelt down and embraced Yuna.

Accepted Answer

B. shrill. 'Piercing' describes a sound that is extremely loud and sharp, often high-pitched. 'Shrill' means high-pitched and unpleasant, which is the closest in meaning to a 'piercing honk'. 'Faint' means weak, 'noisy' is general, and 'sudden' refers to an abrupt event, not the quality of the sound itself.

Question 19

May's heart pounded in her chest and her hands trembled, recognising how close she had come to danger. She knelt down and embraced Yuna.

Accepted Answer

A. realising. 'Recognising how close she had come to danger' means May became aware of or understood the proximity of danger. 'Realising' means to become fully aware of something as a fact, which is the closest in meaning. 'Believing', 'imagining', and 'appreciating' do not fit the context of becoming aware of a fact.

Question 20

"Thank you, my hero!" May whispered tearfully. She could not be more grateful for Yuna in her life.

Accepted Answer

C. saviour. Yuna pulling May back from danger meant that Yuna saved May from harm. Therefore, 'saviour' (one who saves from danger) is the most appropriate word to describe Yuna in this context. 'Idol' refers to someone admired, 'leader' implies guidance, and 'superior' means higher in rank, which are less fitting.

Question 21

"Come Build A Robot Today!" Why did the writer use these words for the title of the poster?

Accepted Answer

C. to attract people to participate in the event. The primary purpose of a catchy title on a poster for an event is to grab attention and encourage people to join or participate. While the event might have other benefits (like encouraging engineering, instruction, or showing accessibility), the overarching goal of a title is to attract participants.

Question 22

What does the picture in Text 1 suggest about the event's focus?

Accepted Answer

A. It stresses teamwork and collaboration.. Without the actual picture, this answer is based on the provided key. If the picture suggests teamwork and collaboration, it would likely show people working together on a task or project, possibly in groups.

Question 23

Which of the following is true about the event?

Accepted Answer

B. It will be held in the afternoon.. This question requires specific information from the unseen Text 1. Based on the answer key, the event's timing in the afternoon is stated as a true fact.

Question 24

What did Samy enjoy most about the workshop?

Accepted Answer

D. watching the robot move for the first time. This question refers to details in the unseen Text 2, presumably a narrative or testimonial. Based on the answer key, Samy's greatest enjoyment came from observing the robot's initial movement.

Question 25

The event in Text 1 is similar to what is described in Text 2 as both

Accepted Answer

C. prepared participants to think like engineers. This question asks for a commonality between the two unseen texts. Based on the answer key, both events share the characteristic of fostering an engineering mindset or approach among participants.

P5 English SA2 2025 — St Hildas

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