METHODISTGIRLS'SCHOOL - TopTutors English 2007.pdf · At the end of the examination, hand in youranswersto Questions1-12 (Comprehension) andQuestion 13 (Summary)separately. Thenumberofmarksis

Name

Class Index Numberr

METHODIST GIRLS' SCHOOLFounded in 1887

MID-YEAR EXAMINATION

Secondary 4

8 May 2007

1 hour 45 minutes

ENGLISH LANGUAGEPaper 1 Composition

1127/01

INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES

Write your name, class and index number on all the work you hand in.Write in dark blue or black pen on both sides of the writing paper.Do not use paper clips, highlighters, glue or correction fluid.

Answer both Section One and Section Two.

Begin your answer to Section Two on a fresh sheet of writing paper.

At the end of the examination, hand in your answers to the two sections separately.

Thi<; n.t i __:_*_.< —__ _,. ■ u

TopTutors Tuition Agency +65-66333221 www.toptutors.sgProvide Home Tuition & Top Schools' Exam Papers

Page 1 of2

Section One [30 marks] .

You are advised to write between 350 and 500 words on one of the following topics.

At the head of the composition, write down the number of the topic you have chosen.

1 Describe a place you go to when you are feeling down. How does being in this place helpyou feel better?

2 Write about an occasion when you struggled to do what had to be done. What was theoutcome and how did the experience affect you?

3 "Like mother, like daughter" Does this saying accurately describe your mother and you?

•4 Straight A's

5 "Old is gold." Do you agree with this statement?

v/mm ;.■.:* >V/,.; English Language Paper 2 1127/2 . S,:c 4 Mid Year Exams 200?


*i

Page 2 of2

Section Two (30 marks]

Begin your answer on a fresh page.

You are advised to write between 250 and 350 words for this section.

You should read the information carefully and plan your answer bfefore beginning to write.:

The Prjacjpal of your school has noticed an increase in the number of students in the schoolwho dress like "erno kVds\ with dark, worn-out and somewhat undersized T-shirts and canvasshoes. These kids also like to sport long fringes when they are outside the school. She isconcerned that they may also have other deeper and unhealthier behaviours associated with

emo kids', like cutting themselves or having suicidal thoughts. •

You are the Senior Prefect in charge of student welfare in the school, and your committee hasbeen asked to "suggest ways nf giving information about 'pmp kids' to students of vour school.You have been asked to choose the best idea for the purpose and report its details to the

Principal.

Your committee produced four ideas:

Multimedia information blitz

Put out information about the dangers of the trend through difiejejitjQims of media that can:

• c3£U!re students' attentioiL like posters in the classrooms and corridors, and music over the PA"system" The Media Club will also be asked to produce aWided to be shown to students.

Celebrity influence „.

Invite a celebrity to the school to qjye_a shorj talând do a short concert for the students. He orshe should be someone who wears 'emo' fashion and listens to 'emo-punk' rock music but whodoes not slavishly follow the fad. and who will influence the students positively."

Talk by expert f

Invite a psychologist to give aualkfto students and elaborate on the warning signs and symptoms,of the "emo kid' phenomena so that students will be aware of the danger signs. He will also talkabout the helplines available and give advice to students who are following the trend.

Teaching in the classroom

Ask class teachers who know their students tc/ talk jto them in class about the problem. Teacherswill use their rapport with students to find out more about their concerns and talk to them about

the dangers of following the trend. *" «

Write a report to the Principal, giving reasons for your choice. Explain in detail why youthink this will be the most successful way to help students to be aware of the dangers of

emo" trends and to seek help from adults*where necessary. Include in your report your

suggestions on how the project could be carried out.

.S. •'!■>!!/ English Language Paper 2 1127/2 Sec 4 Mid Year Exams 2007


Class Index Number

Nairn*: JMETHODIST GIRLS' SCHOOL

Pounded in 1887

MID-YEAR EXAMINATION

Secondary 4

9 May 2007

1 hour 40 minutes

ENGLISH LANGUAGE

Paper 2 Comprehension

1127/02


Write your name, class and index number on all the work you hand in.

Write in dark blue or black pen on both sides of the writing paper.'

Do not use paper clips, highlighters, glue or correction fluid.

Answer all questions.

Leave a space of one line between your answers to each part of a question, e.g. between

4{a) and 4(b).

Leave a space of at least three lines after your completed answer to each whole

question.

Begin your answer to Question! 3 (Summary) on a fresh sheet of writing paper.

At the end of the examination, hand in your answers to Questions 1-12 (Comprehension)

and Question 13 (Summary) separately.

The number of marks is given in brackets [ ) at the end of each question or part question.

Mistakes in spelling, punctuation and grammar may be penalised in any part of the paper.

This question paper consists of 5 printed pages, excluding the cover.


*i

Page 1 of5

Read Passage A and Passage BTand then answer the questions that follow.

Passage A

1 All gieat men. and especially inventors, sooner or later get legends attached to

them which usually prove that the more false they are, the oftener they're retold

and sentimentalised.

2 I had in the mail, a week ago, a heartbreaking story sent tome by a kind stranger

who felt I might never have heard it. I hadn't. But I sent it on to a friend who spent 5

part of his time, for many years, examining the hundreds of legends that have ;

accumulated around this famous man. Briefly the letter told about "a noble lord" :

out for a country stroll one day and saw his little son floundering in a swamp and :

about to drown. He was saved by a-poor farmer and thereupon the noble lord,

after learning that the farmer had a son of about the same age - a child of five - the 10

noble lord swore he would pay to give the farmer's boy the same education as his

own rescued son. The name of the sinking son was Winston Spencer Churchill.

And the poor iarmer?'F!erning.

3 The generous offer was accepted and the studious farm boy went on to become

the very Alexander Fleming who discovered penicillin, which subsequently saved 15

Mr Churchill's life one time when, in remote Tunis, he was far gone with

pneumonia and, his doctor feared, close to death. This is a compact and moving

tale and absolutely comically false.

4 My friend, the expert in mythical Churchilliana, tells me that the story first

appeared in print in the late 1940s and has ever since been embellished in various 20

ways One version has the farmer telephoning the noble lord at his mansion -

Blenheim, no less - to recount the dramatic and finally happy story. I must say the

chances of a poor farmer or a rich farmer's telephoning anybody at that time are

about one in a million, due to the collision of two awkward facts. Young Winston in

1879 was five. Only two years before - 3,000 miles away - Alexander Graham Bell 25

had demonstrated the very first test telephone and the miraculous instrument wasnot available to poor farmers or rich farmers or even noble lords of that day.

5 Nor. by the way. was penicillin available to Churchill in December 1943. He wassaved by a sulphur drug which was the magic drug of the time. All the rest of thestory, while heartbreaking, is false. But some lies are true and the mention of 30

Fleming reminds me sharply that the main legend about him is true. Looking over

a specimen whose mouldiness would have made most researchers throw it away,Dr Fleming paused long enough to work on the mould itself and find it could stopor inhibit the growth of some bacteria and become universally known as thefirstantibiotic 35

6 We should note and salute the passing of a lady who offered a simple suggestionto her research boss - one Dr Hershey - which within 11 months had inspired the

famous discovery of the two molecular biologists Watson and Crick and

subsequently helped Dr Alfred Hershey to receive the Nobel Prize for Medicine.The name of this gifted - and incidentally rather beautiful - woman is Martha 40Chase, a biology student from Ohio.

-/«,u/ English Language Paper 2 1127/2 Sec 4 Mid Year Exams 2007


Page 2 of5

7 Just out of cojege. she got a job with this Dr Hershey who came to. t»e concerned

with the methods whereby viruses repeat or rather make replicasofthemselves. In

an experiment described as "simple and elegant" they wanted to find out whether

the ONA or the protein of the virus is responsible for the infection or as they 45

technically say "carried the genetic information for infection".

8 But how do we separate the DNA from its protein colleague? At an historic but

unnoticed moment in time Miss Chase said, "How about a kitchen blender?" The

humblest, you.ûe^s the crudest, of. separators. It worked. At the moment of• infection theToW alone entered the bacteria and so the DNA was'the only 5G.

replicator of the virus.

9 Within less than a year,Watson and Crick had their helix model and discovered the

structure of the DNA 'molecule and for this discovery were awarded the 1962Nobel Prize award. So, dead at 75, Martha Chase will remain an important

footnote in the history of medicine and proof that some simple and. colourful 55legends are based in fact.

Adapted from : Some Colourful Legends are Based in Fact

AHstair Cooke's Letter from America

Passage B

Subterranean cities hidden deep in the jungle, unidentified flying objects, tribes of

savages, lost explorers, mediums receiving psychic messages - the tales that

surround the life of Colonel Percy Fawcett include all of these. Even the probable

reality sounds like the most unlikely fiction you have ever read.

The excitement began when Fawcett was surveying the border between Bolivia 5and Brazil for the Royal Geographical Society in 1908. An early completion of the

job he had been assigned led Fawcett to^volunteer to map the border along theRio Verde, a river that no Westerner before him had ever explored) He and hispartyVfound it almost impossible to descend from a plateau that they were on intothe valley.) Once they did (reach the river, the going in the Mato Grosso, as the 10area is called; soon became tougher than he might have anticipatedi)(his smallparty had to abandon their canoe because there were too many rapids in the river.)

Tor six weeks it rained every day; the weed-filled water was bitter )andCfish andgame to eat non-existentfand their(rations soon ran out.)

a ^

• Nearing the source of the river, they found themselves trapped in its valley.tWhen 15

things were at their most desperate,)a miracle - the^stuff of all the best movies -saved them. A freak rifle shot brought down a deer.flproviding them with food and,more importantly, the will to carry on/i

ii

So much for reality. Back in tendon. Fawcett told his story to many, including SirArthur Conan Doyle) FawcettCbelieved that the shape of many of the mountains he 20had seen suggestedMhat there might be cities hidden under the hills, perhapsancient lost civilizations. Conan Doyle's imagination took over. Why should therenot be monsters from the dawn of man's existence roaming those heights 7

:.h-iho.hM („.-/» School English Language Paper 2 1127/2 Sec 4 Mid Year Exams 2007


Page 3 of 5

' unchallenged, imprisoned by unscalable cliffs, as Fawcett's expedition hadtemporarily, been? As a result, Fawcett supplied Conan Doyle with photographs 25and all the information he had. The result of that was Conan Doyle's book, "Thetost World' and countless derivative films, the most famous being 'Jurassic Park';

Eventually Fawcett. naturally, went back to the Mato GrossoUo find these lostcivilizations that he was sure existed/He claimed thatffhe region was well-defined,a poisoned Hell impossible to explore on foot} with (giant 20-metre anacondas 30capable of pulling a man out of a canoe. There were savage ape-men and bats)solarge that they looked like the flying dinosaurs, the pterodactyls. Swarms of flyingbees were among the hazards guarding the lost city. In 1925, Colonel Fawcett, hisson Jack and their friend Raleigh Rimme^fiiysteriously disappeared while lookingfor the long-lost civilization that he believed was therefor the finding.ta civilization 35of clothed white Indian^ with marvelous underground cities, cities greater thanthose of the Inca Empire, older than the oldest Eqyptian discoveries. He wassearching for cities with a strange source of light that filled with terror the Indianswho had seen it.

When.no one knows for sure, the ground is fertile for the imagination} Fired also 40by Conan Doyle's book - a great success - the stories kept, coming. A Germansettler in Brazil claimed to have met Fawcett and his son years later. They were,

he claimed, advanced souls who were worshipped by the Indians with whom theylived in the subterranean cities of Matalir and Aracauga in the Mato Grosso, thearea of jungle where Favycett went missing. From these secret places, flying 45saucers flew off on global reconnaissance.

Some of these stories were unsubstantiated - strangely - or perhaps not sostrangely, considering the circumstances-no one really explored the Mato Grossoregion to check the claims, until an expedition of 2001 set out to travel the routeindicated by Fawcett. and followed by the explorers in the Lost City. The team 50wanted simply to verify that this was indeed the geographical location used byConan Doyle for the story.

Their journey followed Fawcett's in many ways. They too could find hardly anywildl«fe to eat. They found the ptateau.that Fawcett and Conan Doyle describedand like Fawcett they worried about it being ideal snake country. They too found 55cliffs at the end of the plateau and no obvious way down them. They rememberedthe advice of the Indians in the fictional account and made for some caves, usingthem to descend into the valley. Later, on the river they met the rapid's thatFawcett described and reached the rapid that had blocked Fawcetfs expeditionthe one where Challenger capsized in the Lost City. They survived the rapid as 60they had foreknowledge of it. The biggest worry they had was a group of about1 tenthreatening-looking men on the bank-the area is now notorious for the movementsof drugs through it. The expedition was convinced that in following Fawcetfs routethey were also following the route described in Conan Doyle's book.

Adapted from.Percy Fawcett 'Lost Civilisations'

Afri/wrfm (:ir:< .•.,/,,>; English Language Paper 2 1/27/2 Sec 4 Mid Year Exams 2007


Page 4 of5

Read Passage A and Passage B above and then answer all the questions below.

You are recommended to answer the questions in the order set.

Mistakes in spelling, punctuation and grammar may be penalised in any part of thepaper

NOTE: When a:question asks you to answer in your own words, YOU MUST NOTCOPY THE WORDS IN THE PASSAGE IN YOUR ANSWER. ■

From Passage A:

From paragraphs 1-4:

l Write down the word which tells us that the author was emotionally affected by

the letter he received from a stranger. {1}'

2. What does the phrase "hundreds of legends" suggest about the interestwhichthe author's friend had in Winston Churchill? [2]»

•3. Explain why the author feels that the story about Fleming saving young

Churchill's life was "false". [2]'

~Pronvparagraph& 5- 9:—

4. In your own words, describe Fleming's behavior that led to him discovering

the first antibiotic. ' " : [2])

-;■•

5 What was Martha Chase's contribution to medicine? . Ml-*-

6. Explain why the author used the phrase "important footnote" to describe

Martha Chase's contribution to medicine. . [2]

From Passage B:

From paragraphs 1-4:

7. Explain in your own words the underlined words in the statement, "Even

probable reality sounds like the most unlikely fiction you have ever read." [2] j

8. What does miracle - the stuff of all the best movies -' suggest about what

saved them? {21 i

Methodist Girls Scho,,; English Language Paper 2 1127/2 Sec 4 Mid Year Exams 2007


Page 5 of 5

<

<

From paragraphs 5:

9. Fawcett was sure that his 'lost civilisations' existed. What evidence found on

his journey supports his claim? 12]

From paragraph'6T8:

10. Explain in your own words Fawcett's story continues to surface. [2] •£'/

11. Give two examples to show how information from Doyle's book helped !

the team to survive the expedition. . [2] }

From Passage A and Passage B:

12. For each of the following words, give one word or short phrase (of not more

than seven words) which has the same meaning that the word has in the

passage

From Passage A

1. subsequently (line 15)

' 2. passing of (line 36)

From Passage B:

3. hazards (iine 33)

4. verify (line 51)

5. notorious (line 62) • " [5]

13. From Passage B:

Using your own words as far as possible, summarise the true events that

led to Colonel Percy Fawcett becoming a legend.

USE ONLY THE MATERIAL IN PASSAGE B FROM PARAGRAPHS 2, 3, 4,

5 and 6.

Your summary, which must be in continuous writing (not note form), must not

be lonaer than 150 words (not counting the words given to help you begin). *»

[25]

Begin your summary as follows:

When Fawcett completed the surveyingjob earlier than expected, he ...

End of Paper

Mcihodiv uV ,\ v..:..../ English Language Paper 2 1127/2 Sec 4 Mid Year Exams 2007


Passage A

Ql. The word wgptartbreaking'.

Answer Sheets

Methodist Girls* School Paper 2 2007

Q2. The^fhrase suggests that the authpBs fiiend was very passionate on Winston^,^^g^Sfiurohill and had prob^bjyja^êd his many legends in depth over an;,d|f!

Hftextensive period of time. 'h'^'' --"P- -,:^l:^'

Q3. Tfie^thor^feels^thajt^Bie story about Fleming's deed was faJs.(ff$$pfe w^r| manydiscrepanciessurrpunding the story. Firstly, one ofthe stones dictated tha|^^ vpemin.)^^pie| r|id telephoned his lord to infbrmôt|^mi|i^|eed. -Tto^W^;?

tp"6ssi|^ as telephony was too costly for aay^^mer to ^3^1. ^lr^raibrê.telephdne was only invented,only two yes^ji^^Jwhic^âkes it even felse

sounding; •' ^ ■;,...- ■.'.:%y';'.'' '~~M •<■■■ ?''\-^

Q4. It implied that Fleming was inquisitive, questioning and detailed in his findings

and works, paying attention to each and every detail which everyone else would

have overlooked.■■?*/■■■'. v

QS. Martha Chase gave a random but timely suggestion to her mentor, Dr Herstey,,

who employed her simple idea and successfully managed to separateDNA for;

protein, en route torthe;discovery ofDNA.

Q6. The author used the phrase 'footnote' as Martha's contribution was vital however,

may be placed in second place and overlooked or overshadowed by the main

discovery, just like how a footnote is, important but yet playing second fiddle to

the main content of the piece ofwork.

Passage B

Q7. The underlined words meant that the accounts reported that were supposedly true

sounded too unreal to be even recounted as fiction, making it totally unbelievable

even to qualify as a story that waslnade Up,

Q8. The phrase suggested that what saved them was extremely cliched and expected

ofwhen it comes to that particular situation.

Q9. He found that the region was huge and very well defined with several hazardous

animals like bats and savage ape-men, apparently guarding something very

hidden.

Q10. Fawcett's story still very much 'continues to surface' as there were reports of

sightings and encounters of Fawcett and his son even after their disappearance.


îffihtinlFurthermore, strangeisightihp'offlying.saucers were also reported flying from

the exact junde'that Fawcett went missmg^yet again linkingFawcett with the

stranf

: team was firstly unable to descend from a plateau but managed to remember

the advice ofIndia^Jpûse|cavesto make the descent and managedjc|get out ofthe situation. Secondly, thercam waSiprepared for the rapids an^&aniaged to

survive them7i3y utilizbigthepriOTknowledge and waraMlbwNt from the

Hîi) ^FDeV^.^

v||yv) i5- Ascertain fH^^ %1S;V) Fampusinabadwayftj ; : i>"*M,. ''.:. Zm&:. '"'■' ■ ■•--.•.-•■■■•'

Q13.

mgs#Blr€

£; V6lunteefeidô;map the bordetofRio Verdfej a river no Westerner had

^ , j|;f ..v:- Successfully su^ved the hairsn conditions ofthe 'no-man's land' tliat

he attempted to explore

- On his return to London, Fawcett recounted his story to many and

suggested that there were lost civilizations, hidden among the

treacherous terrain he had returned from

- Fawcett fueled Conan Doyle with the line of imagination and fictionin

regard to lost civilizations and treacherous discovery expeditions

- Fawcett provided information and photographs about his expeditions,

allowing Conan Doyle to come up with famous films such as 'Jurassic

Park'and "The Lost World'

- Fawcett returned to the Ma'to Grosso to continue his search for the

Lost Civilizations he believed existed

- In 1925, Fawcett, with 2 others from his exploration party,

mysteriously disappeared while on their expedition

- Claims including that ofa German settler's, claimed that Fawcett and

his son still lived among the jungle they mysteriously disappeared

from


ntktt ;Kim

PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION 2007

SECONDARY FOUR (EXPRESS),

SECONDARY FIVE (NORMAL ACADEMIC)

ENGLISH LANGUAGE

PAPER 1

TIME : 1 HOUR 45 MINUTES

INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES:

Write your index number and name on all the work you hand in.

Write in dark blue or black pen.

Do not use staples, paper clips, highlighters, glue or correction fluid.

Answer both Section One and Section Two.

At the end of the examination, hand in Section One and Section Two separately.

AH questions in this paper carry equal marks.

This document consists of 2 printed pages

•Nf


Section 1 {30 marks]Anglo-Chinese School(BarkerRoad)

1. Write about a time when your decision to help brought about unexpectedconsequences.

2. Concerned.

3. Do you feel that all students should be made to participate in at feast one SportsCCA? Give reasons to support your point of view.

4. What do you think members of the public can do to improve the well-being andsafety of all road users, such as pedestrians, motorists and cyclists?

5. "What a wonderful smell!" Write about one of the scents you like best and why itmeans so much to you.

Section 2 [30 marks]

The school is planning to build a new extension and the principal has earmarked a

space tn this extension for students to set up a student enterprise or cooperative.

Several proposals for the student enterprise or cooperative have been submitted to the

principal, and he and the school board will shortly give approval for the set up of one of

the proposed student enterprises or cooperatives. You have seen the proposalsdisplayed on the school bulletin board:

Comics Cafi

The caf6 will stock comics from a// regions of the world, including

syndicated collections from the United States to manga from Japan.

The comics will come in book format and video format, which students

can read for a nominal half-hourly fee while enjoying a selection of

beverages and finger foods, during recess time and after school hours.

LAN Zone

In the LAN Zone, the latest LAN games can be accessed via state-of-

the-art equipment. The setting is specially designed to allow 20

persons to play individually or compete at the same time. The

acoustics and lighting are specifically configured to give all persons,

players and spectators, the most satisfying LAN experience within the

allocated space.

Fashion and Sports Accessories Stop

The most fashion forward apparel and sports accessories designed for

young adults are sourced for this stop. The concept behind the

enterprise is to bring in small quantities of merchandise at competitive

prices. Each of the merchandise items is chosen for its quality and

strength of market appeal. '

Write a letter in which you explain in detail to the Director of the school board which of

the three enterprises you would prefer to have at the new extension and the reasons for

your choice. Try to persuade him and the school board and convince them that your

choice is the one they should approve.

Preliminary Examination 2007 I Secondary Four (Express) / Secondary Five (NA) & 4D1

English Language (1127/01)


PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION 2007

SECONDARY FOUR (EXPRESS),

SECONDARY FIVE (NORMAL ACADEMIC)

ENGLISH LANGUAGE

PAPER 2

INSERT

TIME : 1 hour 40 minutes


Read through the passages in the insert and then answer ALL questions in the question

paper.

This paper consists of 4 printed pages


Angto-Chinesv€chool(BarkerRoad)

Read the following passage carefully before you attempt any questions. Answer

all questions. Do answer them in the order set. Mistakes in spelling, punctuation

and grammar may be penalised in any part ofthe paper.

Passage A

3

4

6

8

9

10

11

Smith turned on his heel towards the gate behind him. The prison camp was

no more than a collection of wooden huts set out in rows and surrounded by

high razor wire fences strung between a handful of spindly guard towers, with

a marble quarry somewhere beyond. No trees, no bushes, no flowers. It was a

bad posting, with a bad reputation: a place of brutality, too far from any town

for off duty amusements, with nothing to do but watch the defeated.

He walked towards the gate, and a soldier on guard lounging at the door of a

hut jusl inside the wire watched him impassively, holding his rifle loosely, more

as formality than for any specific purpose.

"You joining us?" His voice was flat.

Smith nodded. There would be time enough later to learn names and explore

personalities. For the moment he needed only to report his arrival to the

commander. Then he could explore further.

"The office is the first hut." The soldier gestured vaguely with his rifle. "You'll

find the commander in there."

The office was sparse: a trestle table, an elderly typewriter, a filing cabinet and

a field telephone. A lance corporal sat picking at the typewriter like a hen

pecking up grains, using a single finger in spasmodic little jerks. He looked up,

and then glanced at a piece of paper. "You must be Smith.* '

Smith nodded. That's me." He took a buff envelope from a pocket and held it

out tentatively. "Corporal."

The lance-corporal sniffed. His rank did not seem to weigh on him very heavily.

He tossed the envelope into a wire basket. "Can you type?* Smith shook his

head and he sighed.

"I'm doing death returns. They die like flies in this place, it's a tedious chore.

Rows of names, ranks, numbers, and nobody cares one bit." He gestured

vaguely over his shoulder. 71! tell the commander you've arrived."

Introduction to the commander was swift and brief. The commander barked,

"I'll need you to count the bodies." Together, the three of them walked to the

first prisoner hut. Smith found himself standing in a small open space of floor.

The air stank of urine, and faeces, and something sweet, sickly and foul. Smith

had smelt it before, during the campaign, when his regiment had cleared the

area that had been fought over. It was the smell of death.

The commander made a face. "Find out which senior prisoner was responsible

10

15

20

25

«*

30

Preliminary Examination 2007 Secondary Fovr(Exptess)/Secondary Five (NA) & 4O1



Angh-Chinese School(Barker Road)

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

for clearing this hut this morning, corporal, and tell him I'll have him whipped

the next time.*

He nodded towards Smith and the lance corporal cleared his throat. "The

commander expects the prisoners to clear their huts before they go to work."

He rapped his words as though reciting from rote. "All toilet facilities must be

cleaned, all bodies removed."

The commander pulled his revolver half way from its holster. "Right, let's see

where it is."-The lance corporal led the way then stopped by a bunk. "Here's

one, sir." He reached into a bunk to pull a man's leg free. It did not move.

The commander freed his revolver. "Is he alive or dead?"

The lance corporal shook the leg tentatively. "I think it's dead, sir."

Turn him out."

The lance corporal put his clipboard on an empty bunk, and pulled at the leg. A

man slid out from between the blankets, clad only in pale khaki vest and

underpants, to drop heavily on the wooden floor between the rows of bunks.

He was young, had been young, a typical soldier with a close-cropped head.

The commander looked down at him with an expression of disgust. "Make surehis bedding is bumed."

Adapted from The Prisoners by Nicholas Travers

35

40

45

50

Passage B

1 The furore in China surrounding the discovery that children and the mentallyhandicapped had been kidnapped and sold into slavery is showing no sign of

abating. It seems increasingly likely that the controversy will mark a significant

milestone in the evolution of the country's civil society. Police said they had

rescued more than 500 people from forced labour in brick kilns, where they

were worked 18 hours a day and beaten if they tried to escape. Some 30

arrests have been made and more are expected following a massive police

rescue operation involving 35,000 officers checking 7,500 work places.

The crackdown began after some 400 parents of children who they{suspected

had been kidnapped published an anguished letter on the popular Internet

forum Tianya Club on June 7. The letter said they had 'managed to rescue

some 40 children before running into stiff resistance from the local authorities

in the northeastern province of Shanxi, where most of the kilns were situated.

The letter sparked a storm on the Internet,1)and on June 13 a^member of the

Standing Committee of the Politburo of the: Chinese Communist Party

expressed concern about the issue.'.Police action soon followed.NN

N)

15

Preliminary Examination 2007 SecondaryFour(Express)/Secondary Five (NA) & 4D1























































































































Documents

METHODISTGIRLS'SCHOOL - TopTutors English 2007.pdf · At the end of the examination, hand in youranswersto Questions1-12 (Comprehension) andQuestion 13 (Summary)separately. Thenumberofmarksis