NC 2022 MYE EL P2 Anskey

Name: Register Number: Class: NAN CHIAU HIGH SCHOOL MID-YEAR EXAMINATION 2022 SECONDARY FOUR EXPRESS ENGLISH LANGUAGE 1128/02 Paper 2 Comprehension ANSWERS 29 April 2022, Friday 1 hour 50 min READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS FIRST Write your class, index number and name on the work you hand in. Write in dark blue or black ink. Do not use staples, paper clips, highlighters, glue or correction fluid/ tape. Answer all questions. Write your answers in the spaces provided in the Question Booklet. The Insert contains the texts for all the sections. The number of marks is given in brackets [ ] at the end of each question or part question. Setters: Mr Sim Kian Ming and Ms Priscilla Tan This paper consists of 8 printed pages including the cover page.

2 Section A [5 marks] Refer to Text 1 on page 2 of the Insert for Questions 1-4. 1 Look at the postcard labelled Figure 1. What is the tone of the writer when he says ‘there are clues to how they are truly feeling’? ………………………………………………………………………………………………………. [1] optimistic, hopeful, reassuring, empowering 2 How does the postcard (Figure 1) illustrate the message of SOS’s suicide prevention awareness campaign in 2014, ‘The Hidden Pain’? ………………………………………………………………………………………………………. [1] The words ‘I’m fine’ are scratched onto the surface. The words ‘I’m fine’ reads ‘save me’ when the postcard is rotated 180 degrees. When rotated 180 degrees, ‘I’m fine’ turns into ‘Save Me’ (reflecting how some people put on a façade to hide their pain). 3 Look at Figures 2a and 2b, and the text beside them. Give a phrase from Paragraph 2 that describes Figure 2b, and a word from Paragraph 3 that describes Figure 2a. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………. [2] (i) Paragraph 2: subtle signs (of emotional pain) (ii) Paragraph 3: façade 4 What did the campaign hope the receivers of the postcards would do? ………………………………………………………………………………………………………. [1] It hoped that receivers of the postcards would be attentive/alert/vigilant/sensitive to the subtle signs of emotional pain/ the hidden pain among their loved ones/those around them/friends/people they know.

3 Section B [20 marks] Refer to Text 2 on pages 3-4 of the Insert for Questions 5-14. 5 At the beginning of the text, the narrator says ‘…men and girls came and went like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars.’ Which phrase from the above quote suggests there was a continuous flow of people? The phrase is ‘came and went’. [1] 6 “On weekends, his Rolls-Royce became a bus, bearing parties to and from the city between nine in the morning and long past midnight, while his station wagon scampered like a brisk yellow bug to meet all arriving trains.” (lines 5-8) (i) Which two verbs in the sentence above suggest that there were many people who attended the neighbour’s parties? The words are “bearing” and “scampered” [1] *both are needed to get the 1 mark. *need inverted commas (ii) Explain how each word emphasises that the neighbour’s parties involve many people. “bearing” suggests the (immense) weight of the commuters, implying that there are many people packed in his Rolls-Royce. [1] “Scampered” suggests that his station wagon was busy dashing/ hurrying/ driving quickly to and from locations/train stations (to ferry as many people as possible). [1] 7 With reference to paragraph 2, how does the writer emphasise that the parties were extravagant? Identify two ways. [2] Any two: Hyperbole/ exaggeration is used (when the writer states that there were “enough colored lights to make a Christmas tree of Gatsby’s enormous garden”). The writer repeated the word “and” (many times). The entire paragraph is one long sentence. Not accepted: The writer lists the different dishes on the table. 8 Give two details between lines 19-21 that suggest that conversations were superficial. Any two: Introductions were forgotten on the spot [1] Casual innuendos were exchanged. [1] X There were enthusiastic meetings X Women never knew each other’s names –conversations may not be superficial

4 9 In paragraph 4, we learn that the orchestra plays cocktail music and the atmosphere becomes livelier. Explain how the language used between lines 23-25 emphasises how lively the atmosphere was. Support your answer with three details. [3] Any 3: “the opera of voices pitches a key higher” suggests the guests started mingling more/ speaking to each other more loudly. “Laughter is easier minute by minute” / “spilled without restraint”/ “tipped out at a cheerful word” suggests guests were increasingly uninhibited in displaying their gaeity/ their laughter was increasingly less restrained or suppressed/ they were enjoying themselves more and more. “swell with new arrivals” suggests there were more and more guests arriving, contributing to a lively atmosphere. “groups change more swiftly” / “dissolve and form in the same breath” suggests there was much intermingling. *Both quote and explanation must match; explanations have to be unique to the quote for a mark to be awarded. 10 (a) What is another word in paragraph 5 that has a similar meaning as “wanderers” (line 26)? The word is “gypsies” [1] (b) What do lines 26-28 suggest about the wanderers? They suggest that the wanderers were free-spirited/ unrestrained/ confident [1] 11 Explain what the following phrases in paragraph 5 suggest about the people’s attitude to the girl who dances out alone on the canvas platform. Do not use the words that have been quoted in your answer. (i) “A momentary hush” (line 30) It was an attitude of disbelief/ shock/ surprise/ awe [1] (i) “varies his rhythm obligingly for her” (lines 30-31) It was an attitude of acceptance/ accommodating, cooperative attitude [1] X agreeable/ compliant 12 What does the narrator mean when he says that guests came for the party “with a simplicity of heart” (line 38)? The writer means that guests had no ulterior motive/ did not have an agenda (or a hidden agenda) when they went to the party OR guests merely/only/simply wanted to enjoy themselves. [1]

5 13 What effect is the narrator trying to achieve when he placed the words ‘little party’ (line 41) in inverted commas? The narrator wanted to emphasise that the parties were not little at all/ were in fact very large. The narrator wanted to inject humour into the passage. X the narrator wanted to be sarcastic (sarcasm is meant to mock or insult someone) 14 From Paragraph 7, The structure of the text reflects the different emotions the narrator experienced at the party. Complete the flow chart by choosing one word/ phrase from the box to summarise each stage. There are extra phrase in the box you do not need to use. The narrator’s emotions surprised overconfident exposed Self-conscious lonely awkwardness Flow chart Paragraph 7 (i) Surprised (I had actually been invited… an unexpectedly formal note) Paragraph 8 (ii) Awkwardness (-I made an attempt to find my host -stared at me in such an amazed way -the only place in the garden where a single man could linger without looking purposeless and alone) Paragraph 9 (iii) Self-conscious (-I found it necessary to attach myself to someone before I should begin to address cordial remarks to the passers-by -My voice seemed unnaturally loud across the garden.) [3]

6 Section C [25 marks] Refer to Text 3 on page 5-6 of the Insert for Questions 15-20. 15 (a) Which five-word phrase in Paragraph 2 has the same meani