[1184/02] SMS(S) 2026 4E5N Prelims MS

ST. MARGARET’S SCHOOL (SECONDARY) Preliminary Examinations 2026 CANDIDATE NAME MS WITH MARKERS’ REPORT CLASS REGISTER NUMBER ENGLISH LANGUAGE Paper 2 Comprehension Secondary 4 Express and 5 Normal Academic 1184/02 17 August 2026 1 hour 50 minutes This document consists of 8 printed pages. [Turn over

2 Section A [5 marks] Refer to the online advertisement ( Text 1 ) and the news report ( Text 2 ) on pages 2 and 3 of the Insert and answer Questions 1–4. 1 Look at Text 1. Tick ( ✔ ) the most suitable summary for this poster. ✔ Civic mindedness can save lives [1] 2 With reference to Text 1, how is the image above the caption “Obstruction to emergency crew access due to constricted corridor” effective? The image shows the crew being blocked by items along the corridor, which illustrates the effect of items left along corridors/not giving enough clearance for an emergency crew to pass through. [1] Students either wrote what the image shows but missed out on explaining why it was effective; or they wrote why it was effective but missed out on describing the image . 3 Give one detail from Text 2 that emphasises the importance of following the guidelines in Text 1. ‘a slipper got caught in the wheels, purportedly causing both her daughter and son to fall out’/‘her 18-month-old daughter cut her upper inner lip on her teeth ’ [1] Accepted: ‘The daughter got hurt’ Did not accept: ‘how to escape with 4 children…’ 4 Look at Texts 1 and 2 and statements (a) and (b) below. Tick ( ✔ ) the correct answer for each statement. (a) One purpose of both texts is… ✔ To warn residents about the dangers of cluttered common spaces. [1] (b) The tone of the language used in Text 2 is… ✔ angry. [1] SMS(S) Prelim Exams 2026

3 Section B [20 marks] Refer to Text 3 on pages 4 and 5 of the Insert for Questions 5–15. 5 At the beginning of the text, the writer describes the effects of the change in season on the surroundings. Explain how the language used in Paragraph 1 makes the vegetation seem lifeless. Support your ideas with two details from the paragraph. [2] (Any two answers below) ‘jaundiced pine trees’ suggests that the plants look sickly and lack life. [1] ‘berries shrivelled up’ suggests that the berries have dried up and look dead. [1] ‘frost has sucked the green resilience out of them’ conveys the idea that the grasses are wilting/dying. [1] (now the exuberance is gone) ‘grasses pale and brittle’ suggests that the change to a colder less sunny season has caused the grass to slowly die/ lose its vitality. [1] Do not accept: ‘turned the remaining leaves to bare their undersides like submissive bellies; it has flattened the grasses so they all lie in one direction’ - Nothing to do with the change in season, refers to effects of the wind. 6 The writer uses the phrase ‘bully my way through’ (line 8) to get to the house. Explain why you think she had to do so. [1] The vegetation/grass was very thick/unkempt/overgrown and she had to force her way through / and she had difficulty getting through. [1] Both parts of the answer must be given to award the full mark. Do not accept: messy 7 Identify a phrase in Paragraph 1 that emphasises how lightly the frost is falling. [1] ‘sprinkles down’ [1] Explanation: Sprinkle salt...as opposed to pouring salt in large amount Do not accept: flakes off (merely means ‘thin pieces of it come off’ - does not refer to the manner) SMS(S) Prelim Exams 2026

4 8 (a) In Paragraph 2, why does the writer feel ‘warmer, instantly’ (lines 10-11)? [1] She reaches the highway where the sun clears the trees. [1] From text: the sun clears the trees. (b) Why does the writer say ‘The first hard frost, no matter how late, always comes before any of us is ready’ (lines 14-15)? [2] There are too many chores to be done / There is too much preparation before winter comes [1] and people are never prepared for the cold/frost. [1] OR Even when the frost arrives later than expected, people still feel unprepared [1] because they have not completed all the necessary chores. [1] Marker’s report This question was badly done. Some listed the chores to be done instead of concluding that there were too many chores. Other inferences were that the frost came unexpectedly/ was unpredictable. 9 In Paragraph 3, ‘This weekend for sure,’ you said, sounding guilty, regretful’ (lines 17-18). Why do you think the writer’s friend replied in that tone? [1] It may be because the friend had stood the writer up before/ the friend had not turned up for their appointment or meet-up before. [1] 10 From Paragraph 4, identify two phrases which suggest that the writer is walking up a hill. [2] i) ‘When I reach the top of the rise’ (line 22) [1] ii) ‘As it materialises, top to bottom’ (line 26) [1] 11 Which word in Paragraph 4 has the same meaning as ‘polished’? [1] ‘burnished’ (line 23) [1] 12 Quote a phrase in Paragraph 6 that tells us that the weeds are entwined. [1] ‘all laced together’ [1] 13 In Paragraph 6, the writer gives the impression that her friend’s house and garden have been neglected. Give three pieces of evidence from Paragraph 6 and explain how this is shown. [3] ‘It’s all weeds’ suggests that the garden has not been tended/mowed in a long time. SMS(S) Prelim Exams 2026

5 ‘grayed out’ gives the impression that the paint of the house has faded and has not been repainted. ‘gone to seed’ shows that the whole property has deteriorated due to lack of care. 14 The text has been written in the present tense. What is the effect of this? [1] The readers feel as though the events in the text are happening right now. OR The readers feel like they are witnessing the events happening in the text. OR It promotes a sense of closeness and makes the readers empathise with the writer more. [1] 15 Paragraphs 1 and 2: (i) solemn Paragraph 3: (ii) uncertain Paragraphs 4 and 5: (iii) yearning Paragraph 6: (iv) disappointed (i) the details like ‘fevered leaves and seed’, ‘jaundiced pine trees’, berries shrivelled up’, ‘grasses pale and brittle’ (from para 1); ‘no traffic this far out’, ‘drinking coffee beside…stoves’, ‘staring out windows’ (from para 2) give the idea that everything is moody and depressing (ii) ‘wondering if you are really here’, ‘ruts don’t