P6 English SA2 2021 — Catholic High | Singapore Past Year Paper

Q: "Why ____ the boy run into the cave when he saw the bears?" asked little Kenny when he watched the news.

A. did. The reported question refers to a past event ('when he saw the bears'). The auxiliary 'did' is required to form a past-tense question.

Q: All the furniture, with the covers and cushions, ____ wrapped carefully by the movers this morning.

C. was. The subject is the singular 'furniture' (the phrase 'with the covers and cushions' is a parenthetical and does not affect agreement). 'This morning' indicates past time, so 'was' is correct.

Q: It takes any time ____ two and three hours for the coach to reach the next rest stop on the highway to Malacca.

D. between. 'Between ... and ...' is the standard collocation used to express a range between two values.

Q: "Let's invite the famous writer to our Book Festival, ____? He could share some great writing tips with us," the manager suggested.

B. shall we. Question tags following 'Let's ...' use 'shall we' to invite agreement to a suggestion.

Q: He did not have ____ snacks to offer the stray dog as there was nothing left in the pantry.

A. any. In a negative sentence ('did not have'), 'any' is the correct quantifier for the countable plural 'snacks'.

Q: Devi and ____ prepared a birthday card for Mrs Lim, our form teacher.

A. I. The blank is part of the compound subject of 'prepared', so the subject pronoun 'I' is required.

Q: The game cards were a gift from Rezian ____ large collection was featured in social media two days ago.

D. whose. 'Whose' is the possessive relative pronoun showing that the large collection belongs to Rezian.

Q: The teacher was firm when he refused to let his students ____ symbols with negative messages.

A. draw. After the causative verb 'let' + object, the bare infinitive 'draw' is required.

Q: ____ a busy work schedule, Marcus finds it difficult to volunteer at the home for the aged.

A. Due to. 'Due to' introduces the cause that makes volunteering difficult. 'Despite' would mean Marcus still manages to volunteer, which contradicts 'finds it difficult'.

Q: Bungee jumping is one of the ____ activities offered by the Outdoor Camp as compared to abseiling.

C. more exciting. The phrase 'as compared to abseiling' indicates a comparison between two activities, so the comparative 'more exciting' is required.

Q1 MCQ 1 mark

"Why ____ the boy run into the cave when he saw the bears?" asked little Kenny when he watched the news.

Q2 MCQ 1 mark

All the furniture, with the covers and cushions, ____ wrapped carefully by the movers this morning.

Q3 MCQ 1 mark

It takes any time ____ two and three hours for the coach to reach the next rest stop on the highway to Malacca.

Q4 MCQ 1 mark

"Let's invite the famous writer to our Book Festival, ____? He could share some great writing tips with us," the manager suggested.

Q5 MCQ 1 mark

He did not have ____ snacks to offer the stray dog as there was nothing left in the pantry.

Q6 MCQ 1 mark

Devi and ____ prepared a birthday card for Mrs Lim, our form teacher.

Q7 MCQ 1 mark

The game cards were a gift from Rezian ____ large collection was featured in social media two days ago.

Q8 MCQ 1 mark

The teacher was firm when he refused to let his students ____ symbols with negative messages.

Q9 MCQ 1 mark

____ a busy work schedule, Marcus finds it difficult to volunteer at the home for the aged.

Q10 MCQ 1 mark

Bungee jumping is one of the ____ activities offered by the Outdoor Camp as compared to abseiling.

Q11 MCQ 1 mark

The huge pillar in the sports hall ____ my view of the basketball match.

Q12 MCQ 1 mark

The Talent Show is held ____, once in March of 2021 and the other in September of 2021.

Q13 MCQ 1 mark

Technology is always changing and it has become hard to ____ with it.

Q14 MCQ 1 mark

Ten years ago, people thought that drinking bubble tea was just a ____ but the beverage is still an all-time favourite today.

Q15 MCQ 1 mark

Jack had no ____ of the accident after he had suffered a serious bump on his head.

Q16 MCQ 1 mark

For each question from 16 to 20, choose the word closest in meaning to the underlined word(s). Passage: 'The bowls never needed washing. The hungry homeless boys would devour the watery cereal, licking their fingers (16) assiduously, not wanting to waste any stray splashes that might have been cast thereon...' Choose the word closest in meaning to (16) assiduously.

Q17 MCQ 1 mark

'They had excellent appetites after suffering from starvation for three months. Wild with hunger, (17) coupled with a voracious appetite, one boy hinted to his companions that he might even eat the frail boy sitting beside him.' Choose the word closest in meaning to (17) coupled.

Q18 MCQ 1 mark

'(18) Without a doubt, everyone believed him.' Choose the word closest in meaning to (18) Without a doubt.

Q19 MCQ 1 mark

'Desperately hungry and overcome with a sense of (19) despair, he rose from the table and advanced cautiously towards the ruthless Master...' Choose the word closest in meaning to (19) despair.

Q20 MCQ 1 mark

'...somewhat alarmed at his own courage and (20) implored him for more food.' Choose the word closest in meaning to (20) implored.

Q21 MCQ 1 mark

Why do you think italics are used in "The Islander Bus"?

Q22 MCQ 1 mark

Which of the following statements about Gems Island is correct?

Q23 MCQ 1 mark 🖼 Visual

Why do you think the "Islander Bus Route Map" is provided?

Q24 MCQ 1 mark

The quote "Be rewarded for planning ahead!" in the Bus Ticket section is telling visitors that they will ____.

Q25 MCQ 1 mark 🖼 Visual

Ashton, an outdoor enthusiast, wants to go to the Zipaline Adventures with three friends. They can ____.

Q26 MCQ 1 mark 🖼 Visual

Mr and Mrs Tan plan to have their meal before catching the ferry home. Where should they have their meal so that they can catch the nearest bus back to the Ferry Terminal?

Q27 MCQ 1 mark

What is the main purpose of the information given on this website?

Q28 MCQ 1 mark

Which of the following is true about getting around the island?

Q29 Open-ended 1 mark

Fill in blank (29) in the passage by choosing the most suitable word from the list (A–Q). Each word can be used only once. 'There (29) ____ foods which are nutritional powerhouses that can make us healthier with every bite.' Word list: (A) a, (B) all, (C) among, (D) are, (E) for, (F) from, (G) have, (H) however, (J) in, (K) of, (L) on, (M) or, (N) through, (P) to, (Q) who.

Q30 Open-ended 1 mark

Fill in blank (30): 'Proceed (30) ____ the nearest market and you will find foods that have the power to fight diabetes or heart disease.'

Q31 Open-ended 1 mark

Fill in blank (31): '(31) ____ other words, they can literally save your life.'

Q32 Open-ended 1 mark

Fill in blank (32): 'A large study found that people of any age (32) ____ started including healthy foods in their diets improved their chances of living longer.'

Q33 Open-ended 1 mark

Fill in blank (33): 'Replacing one serving of red or processed meat (33) ____ day with one serving of nuts and peas...'

Q34 Open-ended 1 mark

Fill in blank (34): '...one serving of nuts and peas, (34) ____ instance, was linked to significant reduction of risk of health problems later in life.'

Q35 Open-ended 1 mark

Fill in blank (35): 'Experts (35) ____ also chosen kale, a green leafy vegetable, as one (36) ____ the healthiest foods around...'

Q36 Open-ended 1 mark

Fill in blank (36): '...as one (36) ____ the healthiest foods around as it is packed with nutrients...'

Q37 Open-ended 1 mark

Fill in blank (37): 'For seafood lovers, salmon, whether farmed, wild-caught, fresh, frozen (37) ____ canned, is rich in protein, fatty acids and vitamins...'

Q38 Open-ended 1 mark

Fill in blank (38): '...is rich in protein, fatty acids and vitamins – (38) ____ of which are critical for good health.'

Q39 Open-ended 1 mark

Each of the underlined words contains either a spelling or grammatical error. Write the correct word. '...let you know a little bit about what has been happened in school recently.' (underlined word: happened)

Q40 Open-ended 1 mark

Correct the underlined word: 'I was given the opertuneety to take part in a Creative Writing Workshop...' (underlined word: opertuneety)

Q41 Open-ended 1 mark

Correct the underlined word: '...open only to pupils who have been exclusive chosen by their English Language teachers.' (underlined word: exclusive)

Q42 Open-ended 1 mark

Correct the underlined word: 'I was both shocked and flattering to have been chosen by my teacher.' (underlined word: flattering)

Q43 Open-ended 1 mark

Correct the underlined word: '...when I found out about the entry rekwirements that must be satisfied...' (underlined word: rekwirements)

Q44 Open-ended 1 mark

Correct the underlined word: '...I was extremely dawnted.' (underlined word: dawnted)

Q45 Open-ended 1 mark

Correct the underlined word: 'My teacher said that I had to come up with a collect of at least five original creative writing pieces.' (underlined word: collect)

Q46 Open-ended 1 mark

Correct the underlined word: 'These pieces had to be vet by my teacher before they were uploaded...' (underlined word: vet)

Q47 Open-ended 1 mark

Correct the underlined word: '...before they were uploaded to the online submition portal.' (underlined word: submition)

Q48 Open-ended 1 mark

Correct the underlined word: 'Throughout the duration of the next few days, I burnt the midnight oil on order to put my pawtfoleo together.' (underlined word: on)

Q49 Open-ended 1 mark

Correct the underlined word: '...I burnt the midnight oil in order to put my pawtfoleo together.' (underlined word: pawtfoleo)

Q50 Open-ended 1 mark

Correct the underlined word: 'Thankfully, my entry was sukcesfull!' (underlined word: sukcesfull)

Q51 Open-ended 1 mark

Fill blank (51) with a suitable word: 'Have you ever wondered how the profession of nursing came (51) ____?'

Q52 Open-ended 1 mark

Fill blank (52): 'Florence Nightingale, the founder of nursing, was only a young woman when she (52) ____ a need for proper healthcare as her country, Britain, was in the midst of a raging war.'

Q53 Open-ended 1 mark

Fill blank (53): 'She was from a wealthy family but did not conform (53) ____ society's expectations of her.'

Q54 Open-ended 1 mark

Fill blank (54): 'Armed with the knowledge she had (54) ____ from her studies, she worked her way up and became a supervisor at a woman's hospital.'

Q55 Open-ended 1 mark

Fill blank (55): 'Upon hearing that (55) ____ was needed at the war front, Nightingale volunteered to go.'

Q56 Open-ended 1 mark

Fill blank (56): 'There was a lack of basic (56) ____ such as food and clean water.'

Q57 Open-ended 1 mark

Fill blank (57): 'Thus, the (57) ____ could not maintain personal hygiene and resorted to eating rotten food in order to survive.'

Q58 Open-ended 1 mark

Fill blank (58): 'Poor sanitation and malnutrition caused the high death rate and over time, even the doctors and nurses tragically (58) ____ to the diseases.'

Q59 Open-ended 1 mark

Fill blank (59): '(59) ____ the risks that they faced, Nightingale and the other nurses worked hard to clean up the hospital and provide patients with the (60) ____ care they could.'

Q60 Open-ended 1 mark

Fill blank (60): '...provide patients with the (60) ____ care they could.'

Q61 Open-ended 1 mark

Fill blank (61): 'In order to convince the government officials to support her (61) ____, Nightingale informed them...'

Q62 Open-ended 1 mark

Fill blank (62): '...most of the soldiers' deaths were caused by diseases and poor hygiene — a sad reality that could have been (62) ____ with proper healthcare.'

Q63 Open-ended 1 mark

Fill blank (63): 'This in turn saw the death rate (63) ____ dramatically.'

Q64 Open-ended 1 mark

Fill blank (64): '(64) ____ 1860, Nightingale opened the very first nursing school in London...'

Q65 Open-ended 1 mark

Fill blank (65): '...which was known (65) ____ the Florence Nightingale School for Nurses.'

Q66 Open-ended 2 marks

Rewrite the given sentence(s) using the word(s) provided. Your answer must be in one sentence and have the same meaning. 'The farmer ploughed the field. Then, he sowed the grains.' Begin with: Having ____.

Q67 Open-ended 2 marks

'The problem sum is complex. Mr Ahmad needs more time to solve it.' Begin with: Due to the ____.

Q68 Open-ended 2 marks

'"Where was the laptop placed yesterday?" Raj asked Nelson.' Begin with: Raj asked Nelson ____.

Q69 Open-ended 2 marks

'If the toddler watches his favourite videos, he will calm down.' Use: ____ unless ____.

Q70 Open-ended 2 marks

'The singer was surrounded by the eager fans the moment she stepped out of the building.' Begin with: The eager fans ____.

Q71 Open-ended 1 mark

How can you tell from the first paragraph that Martin wanted to explore Singapore very much? [1m]

Q72 Structured 3 marks

Fill in the following table by identifying the correct word(s) from the passage. [3m] (a) Which word from the second paragraph tells us that Martin did not know how long his stay in Singapore was going to be? (b) Which two words from the third paragraph tells us that some of the shophouses were redeveloped? Each word is found in a separate sentence.

Q73 Structured 2 marks

"… eased the gloom that he was feeling." (lines 10–11) (a) What was the cause of the gloom that Martin was feeling? [1m] (b) Why was the gloom that Martin was feeling beginning to ease? [1m]

Q74 Structured 3 marks

Based on lines 5–20, state whether each statement in the table below is true or false, then give one reason why you think so. [3m] Statements: (i) Martin came back to Singapore frequently even though he was working in London. (ii) Marion was determined to cheer Martin up. (iii) Martin was eager to explore Singapore with his family.

Q75 Structured 2 marks

Fill in the following table to show the differences between a modern food court and the traditional coffeehouse. Refer to paragraph four for your answer. [2m] (a) Ambience — Traditional coffeehouse: ? (b) Food served — Modern food court: ? (Modern food court ambience is given as 'rigid and cold'; Traditional coffeehouse food served is given as 'signature dish cooked by a master chef'.)

Q76 Structured 3 marks

Look at the table below. What do the words in the left column refer to in the passage? Write your answers in the column on the right. [3m] Words: (a) 'evidence' (line 31); (b) 'such craft' (line 33); (c) 'them' (line 36).

Q77 Open-ended 2 marks

What does the phrase "mindless familiarity" in line 34 tell us about the old man? [2m]

Q78 Open-ended 1 mark

What did Martin like most about the dish he ordered? [1m]

Q79 Open-ended 1 mark

Write 1, 2 and 3 in the blanks below to indicate the order in which events occurred in the story. [1m] ___ Martin's shoes and bag were drenched. ___ Martin chanced upon an old kopitiam. ___ Martin ate with his father at roadside hawker stalls.

Q80 Open-ended 2 marks

How did the bowl of noodles help Martin realise that he was "truly home" (line 45)? Support your answer with evidence from the passage. [2m]

P6 English SA2 2021 — Catholic High

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