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Year 11 English — Reading a passage closely

Answer questions on an extract — what it states, what it implies, and what its words mean there.

Name: ________________________

  1. 1.Read: "He had rehearsed the speech forty times, yet his hands would not keep still." What does "yet" do here?

    • a) It gives the result of the first half.
    • b) It sets the second half against the first.
    • c) It offers an example of the first half.
    • d) It gives the reason for the first half.

  2. 2.Passage: "Arun put down his bag, switched off the fan and locked the door behind him. The corridor lights were already off." Sort each statement by whether the passage states it or only implies it.

    Groups: Stated in the passage · Only implied

    • The fan had been on before Arun reached it.
    • Arun locked the door.
    • The corridor lights were off.
    • Other people had already gone.
    • Arun was leaving for the day.
    • Arun switched off the fan.

  3. 3.Read: "The old bridge was rickety, and the villagers crossed it one at a time." What does "rickety" mean here?

    • a) Newly built
    • b) Very wide
    • c) Unsteady
    • d) Crowded

  4. 4.Read: "By the time the inspector arrived, the register had been signed by everyone." Which happened first?

    • a) The register was signed.
    • b) The inspector arrived.
    • c) Both happened at the same moment.
    • d) The extract does not say.

  5. 5.Sort each sentence by whether it reports a fact or gives an opinion.

    Groups: Fact · Opinion

    • The library opens at nine.
    • The book is far too long.
    • The book has 240 pages.
    • Three trains run every hour.
    • The trains are hopelessly slow.
    • The library is the finest building in town.

  6. 6.Match each sentence to what the word in brackets means in it.

    • The keen wind cut through his shirt. (keen)
    • She has a keen interest in birds. (keen)
    • The train drew into the station. (drew)
    • She drew a map on the board. (drew)
    • He could not bear the noise. (bear)
    • The path bears to the left. (bears)
    • sharp
    • moved
    • tolerate
    • sketched
    • turns
    • eager

  7. 7.Read: "Meera checked the sky twice before she left, and pushed the umbrella deep into her bag." What does this suggest?

    • a) She was expecting rain.
    • b) She was going to the market.
    • c) She disliked walking.
    • d) She had lost her umbrella.

  8. 8.Read: "The scheme was launched with great fanfare, but within a year it had folded quietly." Write the one word from the extract that tells you the ending was not announced loudly.

Answer key — Year 11 English — Reading a passage closely

  1. 1. b) It sets the second half against the first.
  2. 2. Arun switched off the fan. → Stated in the passage; Arun locked the door. → Stated in the passage; The corridor lights were off. → Stated in the passage; Arun was leaving for the day. → Only implied; Other people had already gone. → Only implied; The fan had been on before Arun reached it. → Only implied
  3. 3. c) Unsteady
  4. 4. a) The register was signed.
  5. 5. The library opens at nine. → Fact; The library is the finest building in town. → Opinion; The book has 240 pages. → Fact; The book is far too long. → Opinion; Three trains run every hour. → Fact; The trains are hopelessly slow. → Opinion
  6. 6. The keen wind cut through his shirt. (keen) → sharp; She has a keen interest in birds. (keen) → eager; The train drew into the station. (drew) → moved; She drew a map on the board. (drew) → sketched; He could not bear the noise. (bear) → tolerate; The path bears to the left. (bears) → turns
  7. 7. a) She was expecting rain.
  8. 8. quietly