Question 1

Susan is anxious ____ speaking to a large audience during the assembly.

Accepted Answer

D. about. The adjective 'anxious' is followed by the preposition 'about' when referring to something that causes worry. 'Anxious about + gerund' is the standard collocation.

Question 2

There was so ____ traffic on the road that it caused Mr Ravi to be late for work.

Accepted Answer

C. much. 'Traffic' is an uncountable noun, so 'much' is used to indicate a large quantity. 'Few' and 'many' modify countable nouns; 'little' would mean a small amount, which contradicts the cause of being late.

Question 3

"____ I have brought a gift to the party?" thought Luke when he realised that everyone else had brought a one.

Accepted Answer

D. Should. 'Should' expresses regret or wondering about the appropriateness of a past action ('Should I have brought...'). Luke is reflecting on what he ought to have done after seeing others had brought gifts.

Question 4

Had Sally ____ her medicine regularly, she would have recovered quickly.

Accepted Answer

D. taken. This is an inverted third conditional ('Had Sally taken... she would have recovered'), which requires the past participle 'taken' after the inverted auxiliary 'had'.

Question 5

"____ it is perfectly normal to feel disappointed losing the game, we must not be disheartened," encouraged the coach.

Accepted Answer

A. While. 'While' introduces a contrast clause meaning 'although', fitting the contrast between accepting disappointment and not being disheartened. 'Unless' and 'Except' do not give the correct meaning; 'However' is an adverb and cannot join the two clauses here.

Question 6

"Dylan seldom drives, ____?" Karen asked Jordon.

Accepted Answer

A. does he. 'Seldom' is a negative adverb, so the question tag must be positive: 'does he'. The simple present tense of the main clause also requires 'does', not 'did'.

Question 7

The deer ____ grazing on the grassland when the lion sprung a surprise attack on them.

Accepted Answer

D. were. 'Deer' is the same form for singular and plural; 'them' confirms it is plural here. The past continuous in a past narrative requires 'were' to agree with the plural subject.

Question 8

"Could my teacher ____ his handphone behind?" Huiwer wondered when she saw the phone on the table.

Accepted Answer

D. have left. The modal 'could' expressing past possibility is followed by 'have + past participle'. 'Could have left' shows speculation about a past action.

Question 9

No sooner did the clown step on stage ____ he tripped over his own shoes!

Accepted Answer

A. than. The fixed correlative construction is 'no sooner... than...' to show that one event happened immediately after another.

Question 10

Neither the twins nor their mother ____ for the event this weekend.

Accepted Answer

A. is prepared. With 'neither...nor...', the verb agrees with the nearer subject — 'their mother' (singular). 'This weekend' indicates a present/future reference, so the present-tense singular 'is prepared' is correct.

Question 11

Although Billy was small in size, he refused to ____ when the bigger boy threatened him.

Accepted Answer

D. back down. 'Back down' means to withdraw from a confrontation or yield in an argument, which fits Billy's refusal to give in despite being threatened. The other phrasal verbs do not convey standing firm against a threat.

Question 12

Sarah is a very ____ person. It is easy to get her to agree on almost everything.

Accepted Answer

B. obliging. 'Obliging' means willing to do favours or to accommodate others, matching the description of someone who readily agrees. 'Civil' means merely polite, 'sociable' means enjoying company, and 'hospital' is not an adjective.

Question 13

The snobbish teenager ____ his wealth by showing off his latest gadgets and branded wear to all his classmates.

Accepted Answer

A. flaunted. 'Flaunted' means to display ostentatiously to attract attention, which matches a snobbish teenager showing off wealth. 'Divulged' means revealed secrets; 'exhibited' is neutral display; 'brandished' is to wave a weapon.

Question 14

The children were thrilled at the prospect of going to the Universal Studios. They felt ____ the entire day.

Accepted Answer

C. euphoric. 'Euphoric' means intensely happy or excited, matching the children's thrilled state about visiting Universal Studios. The other options do not describe extreme excitement.

Question 15

Every year Mr Samad's durian orchard ____ a rich harvest. He makes a lot of money from the sale of the durians.

Accepted Answer

B. yields. 'Yields' is the standard verb for an orchard or land producing a harvest. 'Reaps' is what the farmer does, not the orchard; 'obtains' and 'achieves' do not collocate naturally with 'harvest' here.

Question 16

The host was embarrassed when there was not enough food as he had ____ the number of guests attending the birthday party.

Accepted Answer

D. underestimated. If there was not enough food, the host had judged the number of guests to be lower than the actual figure — i.e., he 'underestimated' them. Overestimating would have led to excess food.

Question 17

Mr Silva is very ____ in disciplining students. He will not listen to any lame excuses.

Accepted Answer

A. firm. 'Firm' positively describes someone resolute and not swayed by excuses when enforcing discipline. 'Unkind' and 'stubborn' carry negative connotations unsuited to effective disciplining; 'serious' alone doesn't convey the resolve to reject excuses.

Question 18

When Mrs Tan spotted the dark clouds fuming from her neighbour's unit, she ____ called for the fire engine.

Accepted Answer

A. promptly. 'Promptly' means without delay, which is the appropriate response to seeing smoke (possible fire). 'Zealously' implies enthusiasm, 'punctually' relates to scheduled time, and 'vivaciously' means in a lively manner — none fit an emergency.

Question 19

When the thief was caught red-handed, he ____ handed over the loot upon the insistence of the police.

Accepted Answer

C. reluctantly. A thief would surrender stolen goods unwillingly, so 'reluctantly' fits. 'Reliably' means dependably, 'rigorously' means strictly/thoroughly, and 'relentlessly' means without let-up — none describe a forced surrender.

Question 20

The prefect carried out his duties with dedication and excellence, winning the ____ of his peers.

Accepted Answer

B. admiration. Dedicated, excellent work earns 'admiration' from others. 'Discussion' and 'persuasion' don't fit as something to be won; 'remuneration' means payment, which peers do not give.

P6 English CA1 2025 — Anglo Chinese

Related papers