End of Term English Test

 

Section A - Poetry Comprehension 

Read the poem carefully and then answer the questions that follow in complete sentences.

It is so still, so still tonight,

there is no sound at all,

no tapping on a windowpane,

no footsteps in the hall,

No barking dog or screeching cat,

 no mouse beneath my bed, no rustle of a windy leaf,

no raindrops overhead.

I lie beneath my covers

with my pillow to my ear, and my breathing and my heartbeat

 are the only sound I hear.

 

1. (a) Which line in stanza suggests that everyone has gone to bed?

 (b) Name three animals mentioned in the poem.

2. (a) What noise is usually made by the leaves?

 (b) What could cause the noise made by the leaves?

3. Where in the house is the poet?

4. (a) Is it a clear or dark night?

 (b) Give a reason for your answer.

5. (a) What are the sounds the poet hears?

 (b) What is the mood of the poem? 

Section B -  Comprehension 

The huge metallic bird stood silently, ready for take-off. The silvery grey wings gleam in the bright sunlight. The propellers, one on each wing, are stationary. They would begin spinning as soon as the pilot starts the aircraft engine. The pilot was seated in the glass-lined cockpit at the nose of the aircraft. Little glass windows line the entire body of the Boeing 737 on both sides. The aircraft displays its identity proudly; the blue and red Malaysian Airline System (MAS) logo in the shape of a wau.

The gangway at the left of the aircraft was in position. As soon as the boarding call was given, passengers began to file out of the departure lounge towards the aircraft. A charming air stewardess stood at the entrance of the aircraft. "Good morning," she greeted, smiling at the passenger momentarily. She was dressed in the official uniform of MAS stewards and stewardesses - the batik "kebaya" with green and pink motifs.

A few seats away stood another air stewardess directing passengers to their seats. The golden class seats are separated from the economy class seats by curtains which are drawn at take-off time. The golden class seats are more spacious. There are two seats on both sides of the aisle whereas the economy class section accommodates three seats on both sides of the aisle. The first row of the seats for the golden class are labeled from A to F. The window seats are A and D whereas the aisle seats are C and F.

"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Welcome aboard Malaysian Airlines, Flight MH2601. The captain of this flight is Captain Raj and I'm your leading stewardess, Arneeda Majid. Our flight is one hour and forty minutes. For your take-off, please use your safety belts." The clicks of safety belts being fastened could be heard. The leading stewardess continued, "Ladies and gentleman, for your safety, we'll demonstrate the safety equipment carried on board. Please give us your attention." Three stewardess stood at strategic positions along the aisle and demonstrated how to use the oxygen mask and life jacket. As part of the routine, they signaled where the various exits were. Then the crew took up their designated positions for the take-off.

Once the aircraft was in the air, the crew busied themselves with their tasks. A steward walked along the aisle with a stack for newspapers. "Papers, madam? Papers, sir?" they enquired. The newspapers usually provided are New Straits Times, Berita Harian and Nanyang Siang Pau. Even before they reach the end of the aisle, all the newspapers had been taken. The crackling of newspapers fill the air as the pages were turned.

Then the trolleys were wheeled out. "We're serving nasi lemak and omelette for breakfast. What would you have, sir? The voices of the stewardesses could be heard. From the trolley, the stewardess pulled out trays of what the passengers asked for. On the tray were a rectangular plate for either nasi lemak or omelette, a glass, a cup and cutlery. Then the stewardesses came round again to fill the glass with either chilled pineapple juice or sky juice, and the cup with tea or coffee. By the time, the passengers finished their meal, it was almost landing time. The trays had to be cleared. More instructions for landing had to be given. Time certainly passed more quickly for the crew than for the passengers.

   

Answer the following questions using complete sentences

  1. Why is the cockpit glass-lined ?

  2. How clearly seen is the MAS logo ?

  3. How did the passengers walk towards the aircraft ?

  4. Give two ways in which the golden class seats differ from the economy class seats.

  5. Why must the safety belts be fastened ?

  6. Why were newspapers in such high demand ?

  7. According to the passage, why did time pass more quickly for the crew than the passengers ? Give two reasons.

  Fill in the blanks with one correct word from the passage.

  8. Top ______ is a skill which is difficult to master.

  9. In a church wedding, the bride walks down the ______ in the arm of her father to the music of the wedding march.

  10. During a sale, we can see customers wheeling their fully-loaded ______ from the supermarket to their cars.

Section C - Essay Writing

a. Should there be harsher punishments for a person bullying?

b. Should cigarettes be made illegal entirely? 

c. Do you think there should be automatic screen time limits for children?

MAKEDA

Summary

Based on the passage given, write a summary in which you describe

* how and why the number of leather back turtles has declined

* what steps have been taken to prevent the decline

 

Credit will be given for use of own words but care must be taken not to change the original meaning. Your summary must be in continuous form and not longer than 130 words

The sea turtles, especially leatherbacks, are undoubtedly one of nature's most amazing creatures. They roam the warm seas of the world throughout their life and come ashore only to lay eggs. Malaysia with its long sandy shorelines has been destined as one of their breeding grounds. Unfortunately, the number of leatherback turtles landing on the beaches has been declining over the years. According to the WWF estimates, about 2000 leatherbacks arrived on Malaysian beaches in 1970. In 1989, only between 30 and 60 leatherbacks were found. The drastic drop within such a short span is certainly a great cause for concern. Where have they gone to? Are they avoiding the beaches of Malaysia? Whatever it is, the message is disturbingly clear -- they may become an extinct species soon, that is, if no concerted effort is taken to check the decline now.

The belief that the declining landings of turtles in Malaysia is the result of increasing landings in others parts of the world is a fallacy. This is because the scenario is the same in other countries known to have been visited by the turtles. What has caused the species to dwindle at such a rapid rate? There are many reasons but an obvious one is none other than man's greed. As we know, turtles are killed for their meat. In the days before refrigeration, turtles had been a source of fresh food for sailing ships. Today, turtle soup is a favorite dish among Asians. Their shells have become coveted items for decorations and jewelry. Their eggs which are meant to be hatched into young turtles are instead harvested and eaten. When deep sea fishing nets inadvertently trap the turtles, fishermen often kill the turtles instead of cutting their nets to release them. Pollution of the sea has also reduced the number of turtles. Many are choked to death by the plastic bags that they mistake for jellyfish. It appears that the turtles are no longer safe in the sea where they spend most of their lives.

Neither are they safe when the females come ashore to lay eggs. In fact, this is the time when they are particularly vulnerable as their movements are slow on land. The nesting places for these turtles have also been greatly reduced, As more and more beaches are taken over for tourism with the construction of hotels, chalets and condominiums, the breeding grounds are reduced in the process. The intrusion of tourists into these places makes it difficult for the turtles to lay their eggs. They have to look elsewhere to places that are still quiet and undisturbed to lay their eggs. Unfortunately, these ideal places are few to come by now. Too much development has taken place even along the coastline in most countries.

Perhaps all is not lost yet. Sincere efforts are being taken to check the decline. In Malaysia, it is heartening to note that concrete steps have been taken to protect the turtles that come ashore to lay eggs. The indiscriminate collection of turtles' eggs on the beaches is no more allowed. Turtle sanctuaries have been set up in Rantau Abang in Terengganu. The eggs collected by designated officials are sent to hatcheries in the sanctuaries. In this way, the loss of eggs and the rate of mortality among baby turtles are reduced. In other words, more baby turtles are now able to return to sea and grow into adulthood.

In an effort to discourage the public from eating turtle eggs, a Turtle Enactment Act has been introduced to prohibit the sale of leatherback eggs. The WWF has also launched the 'Save the Turtle Campaign' to create awareness among the public to help save endangered species. In this way, the consumption of turtle eggs and perhaps turtle meat will be discouraged, thus putting a stop to the illegal sale of eggs and trapping of turtles. Let us hope that it is not too late to save these fascinating creatures from becoming extinct.

 

Letter

Your younger sibling recently told you that he received lashes at school. Write a letter to the principal of the school to share your feelings on the matter. 

Essay