READING
readINGComponent
INSTRUCTIONS FOR CANDIDATES
PART 1
In this task, you must select the appropriate word from a
drop-down list. You should complete this task in about three
minutes.
PART 2
In the second task, the objective is to sort the sentences into
the correct order to make a story. Do this by clicking on a
sentence and dragging it to its correct position. In the example
below, we are moving the sentence at point 6 up to point 2. When we
do this the sentence at point 2 swaps position
PART 3
In the third task, you must select the word from the group at
the bottom of the screen (in the green boxes) and drag the
appropriate word into each of the seven empty boxes in the text. As
you can see, there are 10 word options and only seven spaces
If you change your mind, thats not a problem as you can move a
word out of a box if necessary.
PART 4
The passage below has 5 paragraphs (A-E). Read the passage
carefully. Choose a heading from the given list (1-5) for each of
the paragraphs (A-E).
SET 1PART 1
Choose one word from the list for each gap. The first one is
done for you.
werewasisThe world's shortest woman is an Indian 18-year-old
high school student named
Heidegger. She is 0.628 meters tall, even shorter than the
__________ height
averagematch equal
of a 2-year-old. Heidegger was excited to let it be ________
that she wishes to enter
spokenknowndrawn
college after the completion of high school, and _______ to
Bollywood to become a
afternextlater
moviestar. Heidegger will be going on a trip to Japan and Italy,
__________ she
whenwhichwhere
hopes to meet up with many other world _________ holders after
she has obtained
registerrecordentry
her Guinness World Records certificate.
Source:
http://www.guy-sports.com/funny/funny_true_story_india.htm
PART 2Order the sentences below to make a story. The first one
(1) is done for you.
1 Far, far away from the fire was a house where three little
children lived.
2 Now it was lunchtime.
3 They had been playing all morning.
4 That sounded like a great idea, but WHERE in the yard?
5 They all went to school but on this September day it was
Saturday.
6 So Mom told them to lay a picnic cloth in the green grassy
grass near the scruffy old juniper bushes.
7 They asked their mom if they could have lunch, and she said,
"Why don't you have a picnic in the yard"?
Adapted from:
http://www.bedtime.com/html/the_missing_picnic_food.htm
PART 3Read the text and complete each gap with a word from the
list at the bottom of the page.
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was born in Hardin County, Kentucky on February
12, 1809. He moved to Indiana in 1816 and lived there the _________
of his life. His mother ___________ when he was nine and he was
very __________ to his stepmother who urged him to _______. Lincoln
stated that he had about one year of _________ education. However,
he was taught by many different _______. He loved to read and learn
from any books he could get his _________ on.
Example:wearindividualsclosehimselfyouth
movedhandsrestreaddiedformal
Source:
http://americanhistory.about.com/od/abrahamlincoln/p/plincoln.htm
PART 4
Read the passage quickly. Choose a heading for each numbered
paragraph (1 7) from the drop-down box. There is one more heading
than you need.
LIST OF HEADINGS
1.1. Health benefits of soursops
2.2. Side effects of soursops
3.3. The use of various parts of the tree
4.4. The soursop fruit
5.5. The soursop tree
6.6. Effectiveness in destroying cancerous cells
7.7. Nutrients in soursop fruits
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
SOURSOP JUICE
The soursop tree is an evergreen flowering tree of the genus
Annona and the family, Annonaceae. It is also known by the name of
Graviola. The scientific name of soursop is Annonamuricata, and it
is native to the regions of Mexico, Central America, the Caribbean,
and northern South America. Today, it is grown in some other parts
of the world, especially in Southeast Asia.
The soursop tree is known for its delicious fruits. The fruit is
large with a thin, green-colored skin covered with conical nibs.
The pulp is white and soft, and quite delicious. It has both sweet
and sour taste. The fruit can be eaten directly, or its pulp can be
pressed and strained to extract the juice, which is not only
delectable, but also rich in many essential nutrients.
The flesh or pulp of the fruit, from which the juice is
extracted, is very rich in fiber, carbohydrates, and other
nutrients, like vitamin B1 and B2, vitamin C, and potassium. On the
other hand, it is quite low in saturated fats and sodium. About 1
cup of undiluted juice or nectar contains 160 calories.
The soursop tree is mainly known for its medicinal properties.
Certain compounds found in the extracts derived from the fruits,
seeds, bark, and the leaves of the soursop tree have been observed
to be effective in destroying cancerous cells in some laboratory
studies. The leaves of this tree have been found to be particularly
effective in killing cancer cells without harming the healthy cells
of the body. Moreover, the extract derived from the leaves does not
affect the immune system adversely, unlike the chemotherapy
drugs.
Apart from the ability to kill cancer cells, the soursop tree
has several other health benefits. The seeds of this fruit can be
used for inducing vomiting, while the juice can be immensely
beneficial for treating urethritis. It can also help treat
hematuria which is a condition characterized by the presence of
blood in urine. Soursop juice can help alleviate liver ailments as
well. The juice is usually taken while fasting in order to cure
liver problems. It may also prove beneficial in conditions like
leprosy.
The various parts of the tree, including its leaves and the
young shoots have been used for conditions, like cough, catarrh,
fever, gallbladder problems, inflammation and swelling, diarrhea,
indigestion, rheumatism, dysentery, eczema, and some other skin
problems. The pulp of the fruit, as well as the crushed leaves of
the tree, can be used as a poultice to ensure fast healing of
wounds.
To sum up, soursop is not only a delicious, but also a very
nutritious fruit. However, it is imperative to talk to a physician
before considering to use it for medicinal purposes. If taken in
large dosage, it can induce vomiting and depress the cardiovascular
system. It can also induce uterine contractions, for which pregnant
women should not use this fruit for medicinal purposes. All these
possible side effects need to be considered before using this
fruit, or any other part of the tree for the treatment of cancer
and other ailments.
Adapted from:
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/soursop-juice.html
ANSWER KEY (SET 1):PART 1 Choose one word from the list for each
gap. The first one is done for you.The world's shortest woman is
Indian 18-year-old high school student named
Heidegger. She is 0.628 meters tall, even shorter than the
average height of a 2-year-old.
Heidegger was excited to let it be known that she wishes to
enter
college after the completion of high school, and later Bollywood
to become a
moviestar in the future.
Heidegger will be going on a trip to Japan and Italy, where she
hopes
to meet up with many otherworld record holders after she has
obtained
her Guinness World Records certificate.
PART 2 1. Far, far away from the fire was a house where three
little children lived. 2. They all went to school but on this
September day it was Saturday. 3. They had been playing all
morning. 4. Now it was lunchtime.5. They asked their mom if they
could have lunch, and she said, "Why don't you have a picnic in the
yard"?6. That sounded like a great idea, but WHERE in the yard? 7.
So Mom told them to lay a picnic cloth in the green grassy grass
near the scruffy old juniper bushes.
PART 3Abraham LincolnAbraham Lincoln was born in Hardin County,
Kentucky on February 12, 1809. He moved to Indiana in 1816 and
lived there the rest of his life. His mother died when he was nine
and he was very close to his stepmother who urged him to read.
Lincoln stated that he had about one year of formal education.
However, he was taught by many different individuals. He loved to
read and learn from any books he could get his hands on.
PART 4LIST OF HEADINGS
1. 51. Health benefits of soursops
2. 42. Side effects of soursops
3. 73. The use of various parts of the tree
4. 64. The soursop fruit
5. 15. The soursop tree
6. 36. Effectiveness in destroying cancerous cells
7. 27. Nutrients in soursop fruits
PREPARED BY:Gerard Benjamin Masilamany, IPGKGChristopher Tan Yu
Han, IPGKTAR
SET 2PART 1In this task, you must select the appropriate word
from a drop-down list. You should complete this task in about three
minutes.
Choose one word from the list for each gap. The first one is
done for you.
There are people who think you cannot enjoy good food when you
go camping. arewasis
Actually there are many ways that we can have delicious food
while ________ a camp. planning attending organising
One of the meals that we can easily _______ is baked potatoes.
We can use alluminium createsupplyprepare
foil to_______ the potatoes. We then put them under the flame.
After an hour, wrapcoverblanket
unwrap the alluminium foil and you can have a taste of
____________ baked potatoesdeliciousfabulouswonderful
for dinner. One advantage of camping is there are no plates to
______ after dinner.usebuywash
PART 2Order the sentences below to make a story. The first one
(1) is done for you.
1. My two traumatic experiences when I was young made me become
ophidiophobia, the fear of snakes.
2. We stopped the car and hurriedly went into the bushes besides
the road.
3. He was warded for three months and nearly died from it.
4. Finally, my father managed to chase that legless animal out
from the car.
5. Two years later while inside a car driven by my father, I
encountered that animal again.
6. The first experience was when I was sixteen years old, my
friend was bitten by a snake right in front of me.
7. We had to rush him to the hospital as he cried in pain.
PART 3
Read the text and complete each gap with aword from the list at
the botom of the page.
Groceries Shopping
Puan Aminah needed to use the car to do her shopping, but her
husband was busy giving the car a thorough wash. Hello dear. Have
you finished __washing______ the car? I need the car to go to the
market, says Puan Aminah. No, my dear. Im not __done___ yet, said
her husband. I need to wash this car ___by_____ 10.00 am this
morning. But we are __running____ out of groceries. I need the
groceries to cook our meal today, replied Puan Aminah. Okay, Ill
___lend_____ you a hand, so that you can cook our meal today, said
Puan Aminah. We do have some ___groceries_________ but I still have
to buy some more. After 10 minutes, Puan Aminah said, Okay, we can
go now. the car has been washed well.
Example:buyrunninggrocerieswashinglater
shoppinggivelendbasketbydone
PART 4Read the passage quickly. Choose a heading for each
numbered paragraph (1 7) from the drop-down box. There is one more
heading than you need.
LIST OF HEADINGS
1. 1. The Glue of Merdeka
2. 2. Symbolism in proclaimation of independence
3. 3. Religion in Independence Malaysia
4. 4. Scene during Merdeka Proclaimation
5. 5. Meaning of Merdeka
6. 6. Proclaimation of Merdeka
7. 7. Number of Merdeka shouting
1
2
3
4
5
6
7THE SYMBOLISM OF MALAYSIAS MERDEKA
Birthing a nation is no easy feat and Tungku Abdul Rahman Putra
Al Haj had his work cut out for him but it also appears as if that
honour was bestowed upon him. A story is told that at his birth,
the midwife upon seeing the child declared that a great destiny
awaited him. The Tengku is seen by many as the only person who was
able to rally the Malays, Chinese and Indians to set aside their
differences and come together in unity to seek independence, a
condition set by British for granting independence. Malaya became
Malaysia on the 16th of September 1963, when Sabah and Sarawak
became part of the nation, an idea mooted by the Tengku.
At this solemn moment therefore I call upon you all to dedicate
yourselves to the service of the new Malaya: to work and strive
with hand and brain to create a new nation, inspired byn the ideas
of justice and liberty a beacon of light in a disturbed and
distracted world. With these words, Tengku Abdul Rahman Putra Al
Haj, Malayas first Prime Minister and known The Tengku, proclaimed
Merdeka or Independence.
Earlier in the morning of Saturday, the 31st August 1957,
Malayans of all walks of life had filled through the gate of
Stadium Merdeka to witness Malayas Proclaimation of Independence.
They were met as with the scene of the Malay rulers from the
different Malaysian states seated on a large rectangular carpeted
dais sheltered by yellow silk umbrellas. The Paramount ruler or the
Yang DiPertuan Agung was seated at the centre. Seated on his right
was Prince Henry, the Duke of Gloucester, as well as Queen
Elizaberths uncle and representative for the occasion while the
Tengku was seated on his left. The Duke of Gloucester presented the
Instrument of Independence to the Tengku who then proceeded to read
aloud the Proclaimation of Independence.
Much symbolism accompanied the Tengkus verbal and nonverbal
communication that day. In an earlier proclaimation of Merdeka,
uttered in Malaka on the 20th of February 1956 when independence
was agreed in principal, the Tengkus right arm was upraised to
heaven but his fingers were closed to denote an unfinished
struggle. At the time, the Tengku had explained that the fist would
remain until Malayas independence was finalised. Hence, when
independence fully granted on Saturday the 31st of August 1957, the
Tengku, who later became known as the Father of Independence,
declared Merdeka seven times in the fully packed Stadium Merdeka to
a euphoric crowd that thundered the hail after him.
Why did the Tengku proclaim the word Merdeka and not Bebas which
means free in Malay? Because Merdeka is a term in the language
mutually shared by Malaysia and Indonesia means independence and
transcends the limited meaning of the term free. In addition
Merdeka is derived from the Sanskrit word Maharddhika which means
rich, prosperous and powerful. It is no wonder that the Tengku
preferred to use term laden with rich meaning to foretell the
affluent and promising future that awaited the fledging nation.
The media has often mistakenly reported that the Tengku made
three Merdeka shouts akin to the commonplace hip, hip, hurray that
is hailed three times. In truth, the Tengku shouted Merdeka seven
times as seven is an auspicious number amang the Malays and
Indians.
It is also noted that it was the right hand of the Tengku which
was upraised. Apart from the fact that the use of the left hand in
important matters was considered as taboo among the Malays and the
Indians, it made sense that that the right hand was upraised to
acknowledge the role of the Creator in the countrys independence
and to invoke heavens blessing upon newly independent Malaya. Bear
in mind that Malaysias official religion as cited in the
Constitution is Islam but there is a tolerance of other religions
in the country. In fact, belief in God is one of the five tenets of
the National Principles or the Rukun Negara.Extracted from VisionKL
(August 2014)
ANSWER KEY (SET 2):
Part 1
There are people who think you cannot enjoy good food when you
go camping. Actually there are many ways that we can have delicious
food while attending a camp. One of the meals that we can easily
pepare is baked potatoes. We can use alluminium foil to wrap the
potatoes. We then put them under the flame. After an hour, unwrap
the alluminium foil and you can have a taste of delicious baked
potatoes for your dinner. Remember one of the benefits of camping
is that there are no plates to wash after dinner.
Part 2
1. My two traumatic experiences when I was young made me become
ophidiophobia, the fear of snakes.2. The first experience was when
I was sixteen years old, my friend was bitten by a snake right in
front of me. 3. We had to rush him to the hospital as he cried in
pain.4. He was warded for three months and nearly died from it.5.
Two years later while inside a car driven by my father, I
encountered that animal again. 6. We stopped the car and hurriedly
went into the bushes besides the road. 7. Finally, my father
managed to chase that legless animal out from the car.
Part 3
Groceries Shopping
Puan Aminah needed to use the car to do her shopping, but her
husband was busy giving the car a thorough wash. Hello dear. Have
you finished washing the car? I need the car to go to the market,
says Puan Aminah. No, my dear. Im not done yet, said her husband. I
need to wash this car by 10.00 am this morning. But we are running
out of groceries. I need the groceries to cook our meal today,
replied Puan Aminah. Okay, Ill lend you a hand, so that you can
cook our meal today, said Puan Aminah. We do have some groceries
but I still have to buy some more. After 10 minutes, Puan Aminah
said, Okay, we can go now. the car has been washed well.
Part 4
LIST OF HEADINGS
1. 11. The Glue of Merdeka
2. 62. Symbolism in proclaimation of independence
3. 43. Religion in Independence Malaysia
4. 24. Scene during Merdeka Proclaimation
5. 55. Meaning of Merdeka
6. 76. Proclaimation of Merdeka
7. 37. Number of Merdeka shouting
SET 3PART 1
Choose one word from the list for each gap. The first one is
done for you.
People need to be active to be healthy. Our modern lifestyle and
all the conveniences difficulties substance conveniences
we've become used to have made us inactive. This inactivity
________ dangerous for our is are that's
health. Sitting around in front of the TV or the computer,
________ in the car for short trips ridingdrivingmoving and using
elevators instead of stairs all contribute to our inactivity.
Physical __________ health inactivity movement is as dangerous to
our health as smoking! It is _________ to start slowly and add up
your good handy superior
activities a little each day. After three months of __________
physical activity, you willslowregularpositivenotice a
difference.
(Adapted from Handbook for Canada's Physical Activity Guide to
Healthy Active Living pg.4. Canadian Society for Exercise
Physiology, Ottawa, Ontario, 1998)
PART 2
Order the sentences below to make a story. The first one (1) is
done for you.
1. 1.The teacher told us that we will have a big vocabulary test
on Friday.
2. I did very well on Fridays test.
3. Right when I got home from school, I began to study.
4. Mum was pleased with my results.
5. I read each word and each definition three times.
6. We went to watch a movie and she bought me some popcorn.
.
PART 3
.Read the text and complete each gap with aword from the list at
the botom of the page.
The Great Wall of China
The Great Wall of China is one of the most amazing projects in
world history. Extending some 3,900 miles across northern China,
work on this gigantic construction continued for nearly 2,000
years. The first part of the wall was ordered to be built by
Emperor Qin Shi Huang. The wall was built for the purposes of
uniting the warring states into a single nation to prevent invaders
such as the Mongols from infiltrating into China. The Great Wall
never proved effective in defense and is also called "The Longest
Cemetery on Earth" because so many people died during its
construction.
(Adapted from: http://mrnussbaum.com/chinacloze/)
Example:construction effectiveempirebecauseinfiltrating
amazingpowerpreventorderedacross uniting
PART 4:
Read the passage quickly. Choose a heading for each numbered
paragraph (1 7) from the drop-down box. There is one more heading
than you need.
LIST OF HEADINGS
1. 1. The eye of the storm
2. 2. Storm in the Great Plains
3. 3. Financial damage caused by the storms
4. 4. Dangerous storms in America
5. 5. Tornadoes
6. 6. The fury of tornado
7. 7. Hurricanes
HURRICANES AND TORNADOES
1Two of the most dangerous storms which afflict America are
hurricanes and tornadoes. They are very much feared by anyone who
may live in the path of their destruction and cause millions of
dollars worth of damage to life and property every year. 2The storm
that usually develop between July and October are called the
hurricanes. They are similar to cyclones and originate over the
waters in the Caribbean Sea. They move upwards hitting the mainland
of America somewhere in the Gulf of Mexico or the Atlantic Ocean.
Once they hit land they carry tremendous power with driving rain
and wind. These winds can attain speeds of over 75 mph. And cover
an area of over 500 miles in diameter. Every year homes are
destroyed by their fury and often lives are lost.3At the center of
the storm there is an "eye" with relatively fair weather and warm,
dry air aloft. The diameter of the eye is usually about 32
kilometers. When the eye passes the relief is only temporary but
soon the wind and rain will suddenly reappear from the opposite
direction. 4Hurricanes brings both the heavy rains and a storm
tides which causes floods along the coasts areas. The high winds
and torrential rains associated with this storm are the main causes
of the severe flood. The flooding causes enormous damage and most
people who live near the coast are forced to evacuate their homes
and to move to safer areas until the storm passes. People living in
the wake of a storm are given ample warning to protect their homes.
Flashlights or candles are kept prepared in case of electric-power
failures and plenty of fresh water should be saved as precautions
against the pollution of water supplies by flooding.5There is
another kind of storm in the Midwest of America which is equally
feared. It is called a tornado. This type of storm is experienced
if one should travel inland across the Great Plains and the prairie
states of America. In these regions, one will most likely not
encounter a hurricane but a tornado. Tornadoes are violent
low-pressured storms with an intense updraft near their center
which is capable of lifting quite heavy objects from the ground. A
tornado, therefore, is a dark, funnel-shaped cloud containing
violently rotating air. 6It can pick up trees and cars right into
the air and even uplift heavier objects such as homes and railway
cars. Like a vacuum cleaner across a rug, it sucks up into the air
anything which may lie in its path. These storms occur most often
during the summer months and are noticeable by their strong wind
and lack of rain. The sky turns black as dust is sucked up into the
air. 7Tornadoes travel normally at around 60 kilometers per hour
and the winds can reach 800 kilometers per hours in the most
violent storms. Tornadoes are most frequent in the United States
east of the Rocky Mountains and especially in the central plains
area of the Mississippi basin where about 150 occur each year.
Tornadoes may also strike the southern states in winter and have
even been known to develop in the northeast. Both hurricanes and
tornadoes cause millions of dollars worth of damage each year.
Today they can be predicted more easily than in the past, but they
cannot be stopped or ignored. When they come they must be endured
with the hope that one survives their fury and wrath.
Reading test answer key:
Part 1
isridinginactivitygood regularPart 23.Right when I got home from
school, I began to study.5.I read each word and each definition
three times.2.I did very well on Fridays test.4.Mum was pleased
with my results.6.We went to watch a movie and she bought me some
popcorn.
Part
31.power2.through3.construction4.uniting5.fortification6.prevent7.infiltrating8.empire9.effective10.sometimes
Part 4PARAGRAPHHEADING NO.
A4
B7
C1
D7
E5
F6
G3
R5
