SJI 2026 P2 MS

[Turn Over ST JOSEPH’S INSTITUTION PRELIMINARY EXAMINATION 2026 (YEAR 4) ENGLISH LANGUAGE Paper 2 Comprehension ANSWER SCHEME Candidates answer on the Question Paper. Additional Materials: Insert 1184/02 14 August 2026 1 hour 50 minutes (11:00 – 12:50) This document consists of 10 printed pages and 1 blank page.

2 [Turn Over Section A [5 marks] Refer to the poster (Text 1) and the online review (Text 2) for Questions 1—4. 1 Look at the poster (Text 1). Tick (√ ) the most suitable label for header 2. [1] Curious About Life as a BeatLab Student? (not the best | vague) √ Why Is BeatLab the Right Place for You? (strengths of the studio listed) Aspiring to Perform as Part of a Band? (distractor due to image) 2 How do the three smaller images reinforce the overall message of the poster? The three smaller images show people of different age groups learning drums, supporting the idea the reader of the poster/ everyone/anyone can be a drummer/age or experience do not matter. [1] Do Not Accept - If only ‘different gender’ is mentioned without the idea of diverse age groups, because main text specifies ‘age’ - No excess denies if answer includes different age groups and genders 3 Which phrase in Text 2 suggests that the lessons at BeatLab Drum Studio are "customised", as described in Text 1? The phrase is ‘taught at a pace that suited her needs’. [1] 4 Look at Texts 1 and 2 and statements (a) and (b) below. Tick (√ ) the correct answer for each statement. (a) What do both Text 1 and Text 2 suggest about taking lessons at BeatLab Drum Studio? [1] Students are encouraged to work towards certification programmes. (Certification programmes are available, but does not mean encouraged) Students can enjoy premium equipment and facilities. (Not mentioned in Text 2) √ Students can experience personal growth through learning music. (Text 1: ‘grow in confidence’ | Text 2: ‘blossom through music’)

3 [Turn Over (b) The best word to describe the tone of the writer in Text 2 is… appreciative. (‘we feel fortunate’ | ‘it has been wonderful) | ‘looks forward to each week’) informative. (though it provides info of the price per lesson, this occupies less of the whole review, than the appreciation) persuasive. (nothing to suggest this) [1]

4 [Turn Over Section B [20 marks] Refer to Text 3 for Questions 5—14. 5 In Paragraph 1, what does the phrase “almost suspicious generosity” (lines 5 – 6) suggest about the weather the team had been experiencing? [1] It was too good to be true. OR They did not expect the weather to be so fair. OR The fair weather was not usual. Clue: “finally broke” (line 7) 6 In Paragraph 2, the wind became an obstacle for the climbers. Explain how the use of language conveys the ferocity of the wind. Support your ideas with two details from the paragraph. [2] The wind ‘screamed across the exposed ridge’ suggests the loud and howling quality of the wind, showing the aggression of the wind. ‘flinging ice crystals that stung any patch of unprotected skin’ suggests the intensity/power of the wind, that it was so great it hurled the ice crystals at the climbers and hurt them. It hints at the violence of the wind. 7 In Paragraph 3, what does the phrase “each one a lifeline away from the others” (line 15) suggest about the situation the climbers were in? [1] They were in a precarious/ perilous/ very dangerous situation. 8 In Paragraph 4, Nora and her team were navigating their ascent in the storm. (a) Why was Nora unable to rely on her GPS device during the storm? [1] The satellite signal flickered erratically. Do Not Accept - Defeated by the storm.

5 [Turn Over (b) In what two ways was this climb different from her previous climb on a smaller mountain [2] (i) She could rely on more tools/equipment/resources to navigate this climb. Clue: She had navigated by less, once, on a smaller mountain (ii) She had three other lives depending on the accuracy of her judgement in this climb. Clue: but never with three other lives depending on the accuracy of her judgement. 9 In Paragraph 5, Yerlan alerted Nora and the team to the danger of the crevasse. (a) What alarmed Yerlan just before the crevasse gave way? [1] The change in the snow's texture beneath his boots. OR There was a hint of hollowness beneath his boots where solid ground should have been. (b) Give two ways in which the writer emphasises Yerlan’s alarm. [2] (i) The use of the short sentence, “Something was wrong.” conveys Yerlan’s sudden realisation/detection/sensing of the danger. (ii) The use of his inner thought/imperative/italics, “Don’t move. Warn them.” conveys urgency of the acting immediately. Alternative: The use of fragmented sentence, “He had felt this before, once, on another mountain.” conveys the instinctive and instantaneous nature of his detection. 10 In Paragraph 6, explain in your own words why the climbers were unaware of the crevasse. [1] It was hidden under/covered by snow that looked compact/dense Clue: From passage: ‘concealed beneath a bridge of wind-packed snow’.

6 [Turn Over 11 In Paragraph 7, Nora says, "We can't go up in this, and we can't stay exposed,"… "We dig in." (lines 43-44) What does this suggest about Nora’s attitude? [1] She was objective/ matter-of-fact/ practical/ rational. 12 In Paragraph 8, Nora and her team hacked a shallow cave to protect themselves from the extreme weather . Give three pieces of evidence from Paragraph 8 to explain how the extreme cold affected them. [3] ‘the cold numbed their hands within minutes’ shows how affected freezing temperature of the environment as their hands lost sensation in a short period of time. “their teeth chattered involuntarily” shows how the frigid temperature bore into their bodies that they could not stop themselves from shivering. “their breath crystallising into fine white patterns on the fabric above their faces” suggests the huge contrast between low temperatures of the surroundings and their warm breathes that it caused them to condense and solidify so quickly. 13 In Paragraph 11, the writer comments, “ There would be no margin for error here, and no possibility of retreat once committed.” (lines 57 – 58) What tone is the writer using here? [1] A decisive/resolute tone

7 [Turn Over 14 The structure of the text reflects the different stages of Nora and her team’s expedition. Complete the flow chart by choosing one phrase from the box to summarise each stage. There are some extra phrases in the box you do not need to use. Atmosphere of the expedition the hope the refuge the uncertainty the hindrance the assistance the struggle the ultimate challenge Paragraph 1 (i) the good progress Paragraphs 2-4 (ii) the uncertainty Clues: going up and down seemed to lose its meaning. (lines 11-12) | there was nothing for it but instinct (lines 20-21) Paragraph 5-6 (iii) the struggle Clues: don’t move. Warn them (line 29) | controlled effort that drew on every hour of the strength training she had undergone (line 39-40) Paragraph 7-8 (iv) the refuge Clues: creating a secure anchor (line 44) | we can’t stay exposed (line 47) Paragraph 9-10 (iv) the ultimate challenge Clues: final obstacle (line 62) | last push (line 66) [4]

8 [Turn Over Section C [20 marks] Refer to Text 4 for Questions 15—21. 15 According to the writer, in Paragraph 1, how does paying attention ensure a baby’s survival? [1] A touch against the cheek triggers the rooting reflex, causing the infant to turn their head to the source to