P6 English SA1 2021 — Henry Park | Singapore Past Year Paper

Q: I noticed my classmate ____ suspiciously behind the book shelf in the library.

(4) hidden. The sentence requires a past participle to complete the verb phrase 'noticed ... hidden', indicating the state of the classmate. 'Hidden' is the past participle of 'hide'.

Q: ____ I known that Mrs Lee has a phobia of cats, I would not have adopted a kitten for her.

(1) Had. This is a past unreal conditional sentence (Type 3). The structure 'Had + S + past participle, S + would not have + past participle' is used to express hypothetical situations in the past. 'Had' correctly forms the inverted conditional clause here.

Q: All of us except Tommy ____ learning how to play the flute for the school's Prize Giving Day performance next month.

(2) are. The subject 'All of us except Tommy' refers to a plural group. The action is ongoing and refers to next month, indicating a present continuous tense, but for a planned future event. The plural verb 'are' is appropriate here. 'All of us' is the main subject, making the verb plural.

Q: "Jill! I am going to throw out this old dress ____ yours," exclaimed Mother in frustration.

(4) from. The phrase 'throw out from' is grammatically incorrect. The correct idiom is 'throw out something'. However, the sentence is indicating possession, 'this old dress [which is] yours'. The preposition 'from' here is being used incorrectly in the options to imply ownership or origin that is not directly linked to 'throw out'. The closest correct preposition to indicate possession or association in such a structure would be 'of', but none of the options fit perfectly for natural English. Let's re-evaluate. 'This old dress, yours' means 'this old dress that belongs to you'. If 'yours' functions as a noun here meaning 'your dress', then 'throw out this old dress, yours' isn't standard. If it means 'throw out this old dress of yours', then 'of' would be suitable. Looking at the options, 'of' is the most plausible to indicate possession. However, the provided answer key states (1) of is incorrect. Let's check for a typo in the question or options or an alternative interpretation. The actual answer from the key is (1). This means the question probably means 'throw out this old dress, [the one that is] of yours', or it's a stylistic choice in the context. Given the answer key (1), 'of' is the intended answer for possession. My mistake in initial assessment of 'from'. 'This old dress of yours' is a common possessive construction.

Q: "Nobody volunteered to stay back after school to work on the project, ____ they?" asked Mrs Lim.

(1) did. This is a tag question. The main clause 'Nobody volunteered to stay back...' uses a negative subject ('Nobody') and a simple past tense verb ('volunteered'). For a tag question with a negative subject, the tag verb should be positive, and it should match the tense of the main verb. The simple past tense requires 'did'. So, 'Nobody volunteered... did they?' is correct.

Q: ____ feeling very discouraged by the poor response, Tom and Ali continued with their charity project.

(2) Despite. 'Despite' is a preposition that can be followed by a gerund ('feeling') to show a contrast. It means 'in spite of'. The sentence implies that even though they felt discouraged, they continued. 'Despite feeling very discouraged' fits this meaning.

Q: Professor Lim's lecture was ____ appreciated by the university students as he was very knowledgeable.

(3) much. 'Appreciated' is an adjective here, describing how the lecture was received. To modify an adjective indicating a degree, 'much' is used. 'Much appreciated' means greatly appreciated, which fits the context that he was knowledgeable. 'Few' and 'little' are for small quantities, and 'some' is less emphatic.

Q: "Look at ____ mushrooms over there! They cannot be eaten as they are poisonous," explained the guide.

(4) those. The noun 'mushrooms' is plural, so the demonstrative pronoun must also be plural. 'These' and 'those' are plural. Since the guide says 'over there!', it indicates the mushrooms are at a distance, making 'those' the correct choice.

Q: The man, ____ child had been missing for two days, needed to file a missing person's report at the police station.

(4) whose. This sentence requires a relative pronoun that indicates possession. 'Whose' is used to show that the child belongs to the man ('the man's child').

Q: This quarrel is between my brother and ____. We will resolve it ourselves.

(2) me. The preposition 'between' is followed by object pronouns. The object pronoun for 'I' is 'me'. Therefore, 'between my brother and me' is grammatically correct.

Q1 MCQ

I noticed my classmate ____ suspiciously behind the book shelf in the library.

Q2 MCQ

____ I known that Mrs Lee has a phobia of cats, I would not have adopted a kitten for her.

Q3 MCQ

All of us except Tommy ____ learning how to play the flute for the school's Prize Giving Day performance next month.

Q4 MCQ

"Jill! I am going to throw out this old dress ____ yours," exclaimed Mother in frustration.

Explanation The phrase 'throw out from' is grammatically incorrect. The correct idiom is 'throw out something'. However, the sentence is indicating possession, 'this old dress [which is] yours'. The preposition 'from' here is being used incorrectly in the options to imply ownership or origin that is not directly linked to 'throw out'. The closest correct preposition to indicate possession or association in such a structure would be 'of', but none of the options fit perfectly for natural English. Let's re-evaluate. 'This old dress, yours' means 'this old dress that belongs to you'. If 'yours' functions as a noun here meaning 'your dress', then 'throw out this old dress, yours' isn't standard. If it means 'throw out this old dress of yours', then 'of' would be suitable. Looking at the options, 'of' is the most plausible to indicate possession. However, the provided answer key states (1) of is incorrect. Let's check for a typo in the question or options or an alternative interpretation. The actual answer from the key is (1). This means the question probably means 'throw out this old dress, [the one that is] of yours', or it's a stylistic choice in the context. Given the answer key (1), 'of' is the intended answer for possession. My mistake in initial assessment of 'from'. 'This old dress of yours' is a common possessive construction.

Q5 MCQ

"Nobody volunteered to stay back after school to work on the project, ____ they?" asked Mrs Lim.

Q6 MCQ

____ feeling very discouraged by the poor response, Tom and Ali continued with their charity project.

Q7 MCQ

Professor Lim's lecture was ____ appreciated by the university students as he was very knowledgeable.

Q8 MCQ

"Look at ____ mushrooms over there! They cannot be eaten as they are poisonous," explained the guide.

Q9 MCQ

The man, ____ child had been missing for two days, needed to file a missing person's report at the police station.

Q10 MCQ

This quarrel is between my brother and ____. We will resolve it ourselves.

Q11 MCQ

The tiger's eyes were ____ on the deer grazing in the forest as it prepared to pounce.

Q12 MCQ

Ming Ming realised that it was ____ to argue with the invigilators since he had been caught red-handed cheating during the exam.

Q13 MCQ

Due to her worsening health condition, the doctors were ____ concerned.

Q14 MCQ

During the debate, Jerry refused to ____ as he tried to win the support of the judges by refuting his opponent's point of view.

Q15 MCQ

Maggie was filled with ____ as she knew that the result of the competition was going to be announced any moment.

Q16 MCQ 🖼 Visual

Radley was scrolling through an online shopping platform searching desperately for the latest video game console, Play Station 5. This highly (16) sought-after game console was sold out completely on their official website and in their retail store.

Q17 MCQ 🖼 Visual

The morning of its (17) launch, he arrived at their store three hours before the operating hours. To his surprise, there was already a snaking queue of (18) anxious buyers. He waited patiently in line until the store opened.

Q18 MCQ 🖼 Visual

The morning of its (17) launch, he arrived at their store three hours before the operating hours. To his surprise, there was already a snaking queue of (18) anxious buyers. He waited patiently in line until the store opened.

Q19 MCQ 🖼 Visual

Just as he reached the front of the queue, he was (19) turned away as all stocks of the game console had been sold out. Hence, he turned to the online shopping platform hoping that someone would change their mind about the purchase and resell the console at a (20) reasonable price.

Q20 MCQ 🖼 Visual

Just as he reached the front of the queue, he was (19) turned away as all stocks of the game console had been sold out. Hence, he turned to the online shopping platform hoping that someone would change their mind about the purchase and resell the console at a (20) reasonable price.

Q21 MCQ 🖼 Visual

According to the article, which of the following is considered pre-consumer textile waste?

Q22 MCQ

Look at the section "Did you know?". The purpose of the section is to

Q23 MCQ

The section on "Life cycle of a cotton T-shirt" is included in the article for the following possible reasons except to

Q24 MCQ

What can participants expect at the "Swap Now" event?

Q25 MCQ

Mrs Aini would like to participate in the upcycling workshop at The Crafthouse. She has to

Q26 MCQ

Wei Jie has some unwanted clothes which he would like to recycle. He must not

Q27 MCQ

Based on the article, which of the following is true?

Q28 MCQ

What is the main purpose of the article?

Q29 Structured 1 mark

A survey conducted recently shows that most people rank the fear of public speaking higher than the fear of death itself. The fear of public speaking is ____ as real for many people as having common fears such as being afraid of heights and animals.

Q30 Structured 1 mark

____ there are techniques to help you overcome this fear. Some of ____ ways include organising your thoughts and materials as it helps you to be more relaxed and calm. This can greatly reduce your anxiety because you can better focus on the one thing ____ hand, which is giving a great speech to your audience.

Q31 Structured 1 mark

A survey conducted recently shows that most people rank the fear of public speaking higher than the fear of death itself. The fear of public speaking is ____ as real for many people as having common fears such as being afraid of heights and animals. ____ there are techniques to help you overcome this fear. Some of ____ ways include organising your thoughts and materials as it helps you to be more relaxed and calm. This can greatly reduce your anxiety because you can better focus on the one thing ____ hand, which is giving a great speech to your audience.

Q32 Structured 1 mark

A survey conducted recently shows that most people rank the fear of public speaking higher than the fear of death itself. The fear of public speaking is ____ as real for many people as having common fears such as being afraid of heights and animals. ____ there are techniques to help you overcome this fear. Some of ____ ways include organising your thoughts and materials as it helps you to be more relaxed and calm. This can greatly reduce your anxiety because you can better focus on the one thing ____ hand, which is giving a great speech to your audience.

Q33 Structured 1 mark

It is ideal that you prepare and practise for your speech. Writing out a script of your key points ____ help but you should not read from the script entirely. As the saying 'Practice makes perfect' goes, you should practise your pronunciation ____ to be clearly understood. Before ____ the presentation, anticipating ____ possible question will also allow you to be better prepared. Practise your speech in front of the mirror as if you are speaking directly to someone, paying attention to your facial expressions and gestures. Another way is to record yourself giving the speech from beginning to end. Then listen to ____ and make notes on how you can improve your delivery. Avoid speaking ____ fast during a speech as it interferes with your breathing patterns. Speaking fast may cause a shortness of breath and this will make you nervous and ____ susceptible to fear. Try slowing down when you speak and you will be composed and unperturbed!

Q34 Structured 1 mark

It is ideal that you prepare and practise for your speech. Writing out a script of your key points ____ help but you should not read from the script entirely. As the saying 'Practice makes perfect' goes, you should practise your pronunciation ____ to be clearly understood. Before ____ the presentation, anticipating ____ possible question will also allow you to be better prepared. Practise your speech in front of the mirror as if you are speaking directly to someone, paying attention to your facial expressions and gestures. Another way is to record yourself giving the speech from beginning to end. Then listen to ____ and make notes on how you can improve your delivery. Avoid speaking ____ fast during a speech as it interferes with your breathing patterns. Speaking fast may cause a shortness of breath and this will make you nervous and ____ susceptible to fear. Try slowing down when you speak and you will be composed and unperturbed!

Q35 Structured 1 mark

It is ideal that you prepare and practise for your speech. Writing out a script of your key points ____ help but you should not read from the script entirely. As the saying 'Practice makes perfect' goes, you should practise your pronunciation ____ to be clearly understood. Before ____ the presentation, anticipating ____ possible question will also allow you to be better prepared. Practise your speech in front of the mirror as if you are speaking directly to someone, paying attention to your facial expressions and gestures. Another way is to record yourself giving the speech from beginning to end. Then listen to ____ and make notes on how you can improve your delivery. Avoid speaking ____ fast during a speech as it interferes with your breathing patterns. Speaking fast may cause a shortness of breath and this will make you nervous and ____ susceptible to fear. Try slowing down when you speak and you will be composed and unperturbed!

Q36 Structured 1 mark

It is ideal that you prepare and practise for your speech. Writing out a script of your key points ____ help but you should not read from the script entirely. As the saying 'Practice makes perfect' goes, you should practise your pronunciation ____ to be clearly understood. Before ____ the presentation, anticipating ____ possible question will also allow you to be better prepared. Practise your speech in front of the mirror as if you are speaking directly to someone, paying attention to your facial expressions and gestures. Another way is to record yourself giving the speech from beginning to end. Then listen to ____ and make notes on how you can improve your delivery. Avoid speaking ____ fast during a speech as it interferes with your breathing patterns. Speaking fast may cause a shortness of breath and this will make you nervous and ____ susceptible to fear. Try slowing down when you speak and you will be composed and unperturbed!

Q37 Structured 1 mark

Avoid speaking ____ fast during a speech as it interferes with your breathing patterns. Speaking fast may cause a shortness of breath and this will make you nervous and ____ susceptible to fear. Try slowing down when you speak and you will be composed and unperturbed!

Q38 Structured 1 mark

Avoid speaking ____ fast during a speech as it interferes with your breathing patterns. Speaking fast may cause a shortness of breath and this will make you nervous and ____ susceptible to fear. Try slowing down when you speak and you will be composed and unperturbed!

Q39 Structured 1 mark

Samsui women were part of an initial group of some 2,000 women who arrived in Singapore between 1934 to 1938 in search of jobs to better their lives. No job was too difficult or too humillating for these women who were strong and capable.

Q40 Structured 1 mark

Most of these samsui women worked as general labourers in the construction industry and many would come to be characterised by the distinktif red headgear and the blue or black samfoo that they wore while working at construction sites across the island.

Q41 Structured 1 mark

Most of these samsui women worked as general labourers in the construction industry and many would come to be characterised by the distinktif red headgear and the blue or black samfoo that they wore while working at construction sites across the island. From their arrival, most samsui women would make their way to the Chinatown district that many fellow samsui migrants resided.

Q42 Structured 1 mark

Most of these samsui women worked as general labourers in the construction industry and many would come to be characterised by the distinktif red headgear and the blue or black samfoo that they wore while working at construction sites across the island. From their arrival, most samsui women would make their way to the Chinatown district that many fellow samsui migrants resided. A large number of these women lived together in shared acomodations.

Q43 Structured 1 mark

A large number of these women lived together in shared acomodations. A typical workday involved waking up before dawn to prepare their meals and then assembles with other samsui women to go to work.

Q44 Structured 1 mark

A large number of these women lived together in shared acomodations. A typical workday involved waking up before dawn to prepare their meals and then assembles with other samsui women to go to work.

Q45 Structured 1 mark

Samsui women were trifty as their main purpose for coming to Singapore was to earn money to send back to their families in China.

Q46 Structured 1 mark

To relief themselves of the feeling of homesickness, samsui women who were ilitrate engage a professional letter writer's help to send letters home.

Q47 Structured 1 mark

To relief themselves of the feeling of homesickness, samsui women who were ilitrate engage a professional letter writer's help to send letters home.

Q48 Structured 1 mark

These women also had a reputation for being fierce, aggressive and wary of strangers. They only associated to fellow samsui women.

Q49 Structured 1 mark

Many samsui women worked well into their 70s which means that they were also involved in creating mordern landmarks like the Toa Payoh Estate and Bishan Station.

Q50 Structured 1 mark

Many samsui women worked well into their 70s which means that they were also involved in creating mordern landmarks like the Toa Payoh Estate and Bishan Station.

Q51 Structured 1 mark

Pirates have earned a fierce reputation based on their adventures on the high seas. They regularly raided and took over merchant ships with ____ chance they got. Pirates were perceived ____ lead a free-spirited lifestyle that included plenty of partying and good times. However, countless pirates have died ____ various illnesses as well as during battles. Often, pirates were callous and capable of instilling ____ in the hearts of their enemies through the use of violence. They brutally raided enemy ships for ____ which consisted mainly of precious jewels and gold coins. Nevertheless, not all ships surrendered peacefully and ____ not all raids went ____ a hitch. Thus, pirates resorted to using heavy weapons whenever ____.

Q52 Structured 1 mark

Pirates have earned a fierce reputation based on their adventures on the high seas. They regularly raided and took over merchant ships with ____ chance they got. Pirates were perceived ____ lead a free-spirited lifestyle that included plenty of partying and good times. However, countless pirates have died ____ various illnesses as well as during battles. Often, pirates were callous and capable of instilling ____ in the hearts of their enemies through the use of violence. They brutally raided enemy ships for ____ which consisted mainly of precious jewels and gold coins. Nevertheless, not all ships surrendered peacefully and ____ not all raids went ____ a hitch. Thus, pirates resorted to using heavy weapons whenever ____.

Q53 Structured 1 mark

Pirates have earned a fierce reputation based on their adventures on the high seas. They regularly raided and took over merchant ships with ____ chance they got. Pirates were perceived ____ lead a free-spirited lifestyle that included plenty of partying and good times. However, countless pirates have died ____ various illnesses as well as during battles. Often, pirates were callous and capable of instilling ____ in the hearts of their enemies through the use of violence. They brutally raided enemy ships for ____ which consisted mainly of precious jewels and gold coins. Nevertheless, not all ships surrendered peacefully and ____ not all raids went ____ a hitch. Thus, pirates resorted to using heavy weapons whenever ____.

Q54 Structured 1 mark

Pirates have earned a fierce reputation based on their adventures on the high seas. They regularly raided and took over merchant ships with ____ chance they got. Pirates were perceived ____ lead a free-spirited lifestyle that included plenty of partying and good times. However, countless pirates have died ____ various illnesses as well as during battles. Often, pirates were callous and capable of instilling ____ in the hearts of their enemies through the use of violence. They brutally raided enemy ships for ____ which consisted mainly of precious jewels and gold coins. Nevertheless, not all ships surrendered peacefully and ____ not all raids went ____ a hitch. Thus, pirates resorted to using heavy weapons whenever ____.

Q55 Structured 1 mark

Pirates have earned a fierce reputation based on their adventures on the high seas. They regularly raided and took over merchant ships with ____ chance they got. Pirates were perceived ____ lead a free-spirited lifestyle that included plenty of partying and good times. However, countless pirates have died ____ various illnesses as well as during battles. Often, pirates were callous and capable of instilling ____ in the hearts of their enemies through the use of violence. They brutally raided enemy ships for ____ which consisted mainly of precious jewels and gold coins. Nevertheless, not all ships surrendered peacefully and ____ not all raids went ____ a hitch. Thus, pirates resorted to using heavy weapons whenever ____.

Q56 Structured 1 mark

Pirates have earned a fierce reputation based on their adventures on the high seas. They regularly raided and took over merchant ships with ____ chance they got. Pirates were perceived ____ lead a free-spirited lifestyle that included plenty of partying and good times. However, countless pirates have died ____ various illnesses as well as during battles. Often, pirates were callous and capable of instilling ____ in the hearts of their enemies through the use of violence. They brutally raided enemy ships for ____ which consisted mainly of precious jewels and gold coins. Nevertheless, not all ships surrendered peacefully and ____ not all raids went ____ a hitch. Thus, pirates resorted to using heavy weapons whenever ____.

Q57 Structured 1 mark

Pirates have earned a fierce reputation based on their adventures on the high seas. They regularly raided and took over merchant ships with ____ chance they got. Pirates were perceived ____ lead a free-spirited lifestyle that included plenty of partying and good times. However, countless pirates have died ____ various illnesses as well as during battles. Often, pirates were callous and capable of instilling ____ in the hearts of their enemies through the use of violence. They brutally raided enemy ships for ____ which consisted mainly of precious jewels and gold coins. Nevertheless, not all ships surrendered peacefully and ____ not all raids went ____ a hitch. Thus, pirates resorted to using heavy weapons whenever ____.

Q58 Structured 1 mark

A gunshot from a pirate was always ____ as pirates were trained to aim at their targets and could take down the sailor at the ship's wheel with a single bullet. After triumphant pirates had ____ to capture a ship, they would make the victims part of their own crew or sell them as slaves. Pirates could also abandon their victims on a deserted ____ with little or no provisions at all. In addition, these raids often involved torture, murder and kidnapping for ____.

Q59 Structured 1 mark

A gunshot from a pirate was always ____ as pirates were trained to aim at their targets and could take down the sailor at the ship's wheel with a single bullet. After triumphant pirates had ____ to capture a ship, they would make the victims part of their own crew or sell them as slaves. Pirates could also abandon their victims on a deserted ____ with little or no provisions at all. In addition, these raids often involved torture, murder and kidnapping for ____.

Q60 Structured 1 mark

A gunshot from a pirate was always ____ as pirates were trained to aim at their targets and could take down the sailor at the ship's wheel with a single bullet. After triumphant pirates had ____ to capture a ship, they would make the victims part of their own crew or sell them as slaves. Pirates could also abandon their victims on a deserted ____ with little or no provisions at all. In addition, these raids often involved torture, murder and kidnapping for ____.

Q61 Structured 1 mark

A gunshot from a pirate was always ____ as pirates were trained to aim at their targets and could take down the sailor at the ship's wheel with a single bullet. After triumphant pirates had ____ to capture a ship, they would make the victims part of their own crew or sell them as slaves. Pirates could also abandon their victims on a deserted ____ with little or no provisions at all. In addition, these raids often involved torture, murder and kidnapping for ____.

Q62 Structured 1 mark

Pirates were similarly violent ____ dealing with their own crew. Crimes like stealing from the ship or smuggling were frowned upon and those ____ of these crimes would be severely punished. One such punishment was keelhauling, in ____ the pirate in question would be tied to a rope, dragged under the keel of the ship and left there ____ he drowned. Walking the plank, however, is a literary invention and not an actual pirating practice.

Q63 Structured 1 mark

Pirates were similarly violent ____ dealing with their own crew. Crimes like stealing from the ship or smuggling were frowned upon and those ____ of these crimes would be severely punished. One such punishment was keelhauling, in ____ the pirate in question would be tied to a rope, dragged under the keel of the ship and left there ____ he drowned. Walking the plank, however, is a literary invention and not an actual pirating practice.

Q64 Structured 1 mark

Pirates were similarly violent ____ dealing with their own crew. Crimes like stealing from the ship or smuggling were frowned upon and those ____ of these crimes would be severely punished. One such punishment was keelhauling, in ____ the pirate in question would be tied to a rope, dragged under the keel of the ship and left there ____ he drowned. Walking the plank, however, is a literary invention and not an actual pirating practice.

Q65 Structured 1 mark

Pirates were similarly violent ____ dealing with their own crew. Crimes like stealing from the ship or smuggling were frowned upon and those ____ of these crimes would be severely punished. One such punishment was keelhauling, in ____ the pirate in question would be tied to a rope, dragged under the keel of the ship and left there ____ he drowned. Walking the plank, however, is a literary invention and not an actual pirating practice.

Q66 Structured 2 marks

Both Suresh and Kenneth do not want to go to the National Gallery this weekend. Neither

Q67 Structured 2 marks

"The dogs searched the building this morning," the dog trainer confirmed. The dog trainer confirmed ____.

Q68 Structured 2 marks

You must change your masks regularly or bacteria will grow on them easily. Unless

Q69 Structured 2 marks

My uncle goes to the gym to run. He goes to the gym to lift weights too. My uncle goes to the gym not only ____.

Q70 Structured 2 marks

We are profoundly grateful for your help and encouragement. We express our ____.

Q71 Open-ended 1 mark

What was the writer going to do at nightfall? (1m)

Q72 Open-ended 2 marks

How can we tell from the second paragraph that it was not the first time the writer had been on the boat? (2m)

Q73 Open-ended 2 marks

List two actions that the writer did to ensure that he did not make any noise as he searched for Dave in the smallest cabin. (2m)

Q74 Structured 3 marks

State whether each statement in the table below is true or false, then give one reason why you think so. (3m)

Q75 Structured 2 marks

Based on lines 19 - 24, fill in the following table.

Q76 Structured 3 marks

Look at the table below. What do the words in the left column refer to in the passage? Write the answers in the column on the right. (3m)

Q77 Open-ended 2 marks

"My heart sank when I saw the cruel situation Dave was in." (lines 26-27). What do you think the writer meant when he made this statement? (2m)

Q78 Open-ended 2 marks

Explain clearly why it was challenging for the writer to steal the keys from the four men in order to help Dave to escape. (2m)

Q79 Open-ended 1 mark

Pick a four-word phrase from the last paragraph that suggests that the writer had to make a tough choice on the next course of action when he was outside the door of the main cabin. (1m)

Q80 Open-ended 2 marks

The writer set out on a dangerous mission to look for Dave. What kind of person was the writer? Explain and support your answer with evidence from lines 32 – 43. (2m)

P6 English SA1 2021 — Henry Park

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P6 English SA1 2021 — Henry Park

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