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This picture shows the Atacama Desert in Chile. The Atacama is one of the driest places on Earth.

Word bank: llamas: a large, wooly pack animal related to camel. ice age: a period of time long ago when sheets of ice, glaciers covered much of earth. flamingo: a tall pink wading bird with long legs and neck. diet: the kind of food that an animal usually eats.

YEAR 6 ENGLISH LANGUAGE REVISION PAPER–FIRST TERM EXAM

SECTION A: READING - TEXT A - DRIEST PLACE – ATACAMA DESERT

1 If you like dry places, you should go to the Atacama Desert in Chile.

There are some parts where it has not rained for 400 years! Other parts

get less than one-third of an inch of water every year, and most of that

water comes from fog, not rain. There is also a place in the desert called

the Valley of the Moon, where dusty peaks of sand and salt look like a

scene from a movie that takes place on the moon. This desert is one of

the driest places on Earth, it is as dry as a bone.

2 Why is the Atacama Desert so dry? It is actually found between two of

the wettest places on Earth: the Pacific Ocean and the Amazon River. But,

the Andes Mountains are in the way. They trap any rain that falls and hold

it over the Amazon Rain Forest. The desert, on the other side of the

mountains, gets none. Another interesting fact about the Atacama is that it

is a cold desert. The average elevation, or height above sea level, is close to

8,000feet.

3

Do not think that there is no life in this desert. As in all harsh places on

Earth, some plants and animals have found ways to survive there. A few

small plants grow in this dry place. They have very long roots that reach

the water deep in the ground. These plants feed insects and a few animals,

such as foxes and llamas.

4

There are a few salt lakes in the desert that were made with water

from the last ice age. Big flocks of flamingos fly to the salty lakes. They

do not drink the water. Instead, they eat a type of red algae that grows

there. Their diet is what makes them bright pink. The flamingos also

build nests and raise their young on the salt.

5

One other animal has found a way to live in the Atacama: human

beings. They live in tiny villages scattered in the desert. They also live in

large towns along the coast of the Pacific Ocean. Most of these towns

serve as shipping ports. Many tourists arrive in these towns and take day trips into the huge, dry

desert all around them.

FACT FILE:

Virtually rainless – The average

rain fall in the region is just one

millimeter per year.

World‟s largest supply of Sodium

Nitrate – Another interesting fact

about the Atacama Desert in Chile

is that is contains the world‟s

largest natural supply of sodium

nitrate.

Mars like soil – Soil samples on

Mars are similar to samples taken

from the Chile, South America

desert.

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These questions are about text A, ‘Driest Place – Atacama Desert’.

Answer ALL questions.

For multiple choice questions, put a cross in each correct box to indicate your

answer. If you change your mind, put a line through the box and then put cross

in another box .

1. Which of the following is the BEST description of the Atacama Desert?

A It is a very large desert with mountains on one side.

B It is one of the driest places on Earth.

C It is one of the driest places on Earth, and it is a desert in Chile near the Andes

Mountain.

D It is very dry, but some animals still live there, including human beings.

2. Read the following sentence from the text and answer the question.

“As in all harsh places on Earth, some plants and animals have found ways to survive there.”

What is a synonym for harsh?

A. healthy

B. safe

C. useless

D. severe

3. Which of the following is an opinion?

A Flamingos eat algae from the salt lakes in the Atacama Desert.

B The Atacama Desert is the hardest place on Earth to live.

C The Atacama Desert has some villages and towns.

D Some animals cannot live in the Atacama Desert.

4.Why is colon used in this sentence?

“It is actually found between two of the wettest places on Earth: the Pacific Ocean and the

Amazon River.

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A to introduce that something follows, like an example

B to make the sentence long

C to extend the sentence

D to separate items in a list of events

5. It does not rain much in the Atacama Desert .The desert gets most of its water from

A. rain

B.fog

C. river

D. sea

6. Why has the word ‘dry’ been repeated in the text?

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7. Write out the phrase from paragraph 1 which describes the Valley of the Moon.

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8. Read the following sentence from the story and answer the question.

“There is also a place in the desert called the Valley of the Moon, where dusty peaks of sand

and salt look like a scene from a movie that takes place on the moon”.

Which of the following is the definition of peaks as it is used in the sentence?

A. the height of achievement

B. mountains

C. quick looks

D. curious glances

9. Which word in the text is antonym to ‘driest’? Write out the word.

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10. Put a tick to show whether each sentence is true or false.

Atacama desert is a cold desert.

Most of the water in the desert comes from Pacific Ocean .

Flamingos drink the water from the salty lakes.

Human beings live in tiny villages scattered in the desert.

A few animals ,such as hyenas and foxes are fed by desert plants.

11. Why is the Atacama Desert so dry?

Tick two boxes.

it has fog

it has dusty peaks and salt lakes

because of the Andes Mountains

its elevation is close to 80000feet

the Amazon Rain Forest gets the rain

12. This desert is one of the driest places on Earth, it is as dry as a bone.

.

Identify the figure of speech and explain its effect from the given sentence.

Figure of Speech-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Example---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Explanation----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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True False

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13. Give two ways how the big flocks of flamingos survive in the Atacama Desert.

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14. How has the writer used language to present the Atacama Desert as driest places on Earth?

You should try to include examples from the text to support your answer.

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TEXT B - BLACK BEAUTY

Black Beauty is the story of a black horse in England in the 1800s. In this extract, Black

Beauty has been harnessed to a cart to take his owner, or master, and his caretaker named

John on an trip into town.

1

One day late in the autumn my master had a long journey to go on business. When we got to the

town of course I had a good wait, but as the master's business engaged him a long time we did

not start for home till rather late in the afternoon. It had been raining a great deal, and while it

had stopped raining, the wind was blowing very hard across the moonlit sky. The great branches

were swaying about like twigs, and the rushing sound was terrible. So back we went and round

by the crossroads, but by the time we got to the bridge it was very nearly dark; we could just see

that the water was over the middle of it; but as that happened sometimes when the floods were

out, master did not stop. We were going along at a good pace, but the moment my feet touched

the first part of the bridge I felt sure there was something wrong. I dare not go forward, and I

made a dead stop. “Go on, Beauty,” said my master, and he gave me a touch with the whip, but I

dare not stir; he gave me a sharp cut; I jumped, but I dare not go forward.

2 “There‟s something wrong, sir,” said John, and he sprang out of the dog-cart and came to my

head and looked all about. He tried to lead me forward. “Come on, Beauty, what‟s the matter?”

Of course I could not tell him, but I knew very well that the bridge was not safe. Just then the

man at the toll-gate on the other side ran out of the house, tossing a torch about like one mad.

“Hoy, hoy, hoy! halloo! stop!” he cried. “What‟s the matter?” shouted my master. “The bridge is

broken in the middle, and part of it is carried away; if you come on you‟ll be into the river.”

3 “Thank God!” said my master. “You Beauty!” said John, and took the bridle and gently turned

me round to the right hand road by the river side. The sun had set long time; the wind seemed to

have lulled off after that furious blast which tore up the tree. It grew darker and darker, stiller and

stiller. I trotted quietly along, the wheels hardly making a sound on the soft road. For a good

while neither master nor John spoke, then master began in a serious voice. I could not understand

much of what they said, but I found they thought, if I had gone on as the master wanted me, most

likely the bridge would have given way under us, and horse, chaise, master, and man would have

fallen into the river; and as the current was flowing very strongly, and there was no light and no

help at hand, it was more than likely we should all have been drowned.

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These questions are about the text B, ‘ Black Beauty ’.

Answer ALL questions.

For multiple choice questions, put a cross in each correct box to indicate your

answer. If you change your mind, put a line through the box and then put cross

in another box.

15. From whose point of view is the story narrated?

A Anna Sewell

B John

C Black Beauty

D None of these

16. What is the main problem in the story?

A. The storm causes a large branch to fall and nearly hit Black Beauty and the men.

B. The man wanted black beauty to cross the bridge, but he knows it is out.

C The bridge breaks and is washed away by rising river.

D. The master must go into town for business by the rising water.

17. Which of these sentences explains how the problem is solved?

A “We were going along at a good pace, but the moment my feet touched the first

part of the bridge I felt sure there was something wrong.”

B “Of course I could not tell him, but I knew very well that the bridge was not safe

C “The bridge is broken in the middle, and part of it is carried away; if you come on

you'll be into the river."

D “Thank God!” said my master. “You Beauty!” said John, and took the bridle and

gently turned me round to the right hand road by the river side."

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18. Why is semi-colon used in this sentence?

“Go on, Beauty,” said my master, and he gave me a touch with the whip, but I dare not stir; he

gave me a sharp cut ; I jumped, but I dare not go forward..

A to show that the sentence related

B to make the sentence long

C to extend the sentence

D to separate items in a list of events

19. What genre is this extract?

A Historical fiction

B Science fiction

C Classic Fiction

D Realistic Fiction

20. Read the following:

“Hoy, hoy, hoy! halloo! stop!” he cried.

Why has the writer used the exclamation mark?

A To show excitement

B To show desperation

C To show anger

D To show confusion

21. Black Beauty knew that something was wrong:

A when Black Beauty went round by the crossroads

B when the floods were out

C when it was very nearly dark

D when his feet first touched the bridge

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22. Find a word or phrase in paragraph 1 which tells the reader that the event is happening at

night.

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23. Which word in the text is synonymous to „send to sleep’? Write out the word.

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24. Number these events (1–5) so they are in the right order:

A. John got out of the cart.

B. The man from the toll-gate yelled about the bridge.

C. Black Beauty and the cart reached the bridge.

D. John and the master knew that Black Beauty kept them from drowning.

E. Black Beauty stopped and wouldn‟t cross.

25. What did the master do when Black Beauty wouldn‟t go across the bridge?

Tick two boxes.

pat Black Beauty and looked sad

turned to look at Black Beauty angrily

touched Black Beauty with the whip

walked with Black Beauty

gave Black Beauty a sharp cut

26. The great branches were swaying about like twigs, and the rushing sound was terrible.

Identify the figure of speech and explain its effect from the given sentence.

Figure of Speech-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Example---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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Explanation----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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27. Give two reasons why a reader might want to carry on reading this story.

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28. How has the writer used language to build up tension and interest for the reader? Refer to

the whole text.

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SECTION B : Grammar and punctuation

Answer ALL questions.

29. Join the underlined word/s to the correct grammar points.

30. Change from active to passive voice.

Plants feed a few animals, such as foxes and llamas.

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31. Underline the subordinate clause in the sentence below.

If you like dry places, you should go to the Atacama Desert in Chile.

32. Circle a noun phrase and underline an adjective from the sentence below:

There are a few salt lakes in the desert that were made with water from the last ice age.

33. Underline the relative clause in the sentence below.

There is also a place in the desert called the Valley of the Moon, where dusty peaks of sand and

salt look like a scene from a movie.

Sentence

This desert,one of the driest place on Earth, is found in South America.

A few small plants grow in this dry place.

Atacama Desert is a cold desert.

Big flocks of flamingos fly to the salty lakes.

There are a few salt lakes in the desert.

Other parts get less than one-third of an inch of water every year

The bridge was broken in the middle.

Black Beauty trotted quietly .

Black Beauty was trained to pull a rider on the back.

Black Beauty was unable to speak, but tried to make noise to make them

understand.

Parts of Speech

preposition

adverbial

Noun phrase

adjective

article

verb

Noun

connective

adverb

Verb phrase

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34. Choose one word from the box below.

Diet Current Peak

a) Write a sentence that uses this word as a noun.

……………………………………………………………………………….................................................

b) Write a sentence that uses the same word as an adjective.

………………………………………………………………………………....………………………………

35. Label the statements with V (verb), S (subject) ,O (object),C (compliment) and A

(adverbial) to show the parts of the sentence.

1. Atacama Desert is a cold desert. …………………..

2. The rain is trapped over the Amazon Rain Forest …………………

36. Write out the sentence with the correct punctuation.

are you really safe asked john

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37. Change the direct speech into reported speech.

"There is something wrong," said John.

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38. Insert commas in the correct places in the sentence below.

Black Beauty got a good supper that night a good bran mash some crushed beans and some oats.

39. Put brackets around the relative clause in the following sentences.

Black Beauty who was very obedient touched the first part of the bridge and felt sure about the

danger.

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40. Look at each sentence and work out why commas have been used.

Draw a line to match each sentence to the correct reason.

Sentence Reason

When John saw the bridge was broken, he took the bridle and gently

turned Black Beauty round to the right hand road by the river side. To separate items in a list

Black Beauty, who was extremely intelligent, knew that something

was wrong.

To mark the end of a subordinate

clause

Foxes ,llamas and big flocks of flamingos are found in salt lakes of

Atacama desert.

To mark the start and end of a

relative clause

41. Complete the sentences below by inserting a relative clause where a space has been left.

The master …………………………………………………………................................................

…………………………………………………………… appreciated and praised Black

Beauty's intelligence for saving his life.

42. Change the sentence below from the past tense to the present tense.

When we went to the town of course, I had a good wait.

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SECTION C: Writing Tasks

43. Write a letter to your friend describing about the place you have visited during your

holidays. Give a lively description of the place; why you like the place; what interesting things

you did there and any other information that may be of interest to your friend.

provide readers with information that will support the purpose of the task

use a style of writing appropriate for the task

use a style of writing appropriate for the audience

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44. Writing Task:

It was a wild, dark, stormy night. The old cottage looked deserted so Mary went in ……..

These words are the beginning of a story.

Continue with the story, finishing at an exciting point for the reader.

Remember to include:

• how the cottage look from inside

• what happened inside the cottage

• any characters involved.

.