half yearly examinations - february 2015...
TRANSCRIPT
English Written Year 4 Page 1 of 12 February 2015
HALF YEARLY EXAMINATIONS - FEBRUARY 2015
St. Ignatius College Primary Schools
Year 4 English Written Time: 1h 15min
(Reading Comprehension, Language and Writing)
Name: _________________________ Class: _____________
Section A – Reading Comprehension
Section B – Language
Section C - Writing
TOTAL
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A. Reading Comprehension 20 marks
Read the following passage carefully
THE CAMEL
Do you know what the hump of a camel is used
for? If you answered to store water, guess again.
It’s actually not true. A camel’s hump is a storage
place for fatty tissue.
Most animals, including humans, store fat throughout their bodies, beneath
their skin. But camels store their fat in one place, their hump. A hump can weigh
as much as 36 kilograms. Why do camels store their fat this way? The answer is
most likely because of their environment. Camels can go up to two weeks without
eating because they have this fatty tissue to live off it. Since camels live in the
desert where food is scarce, they need this storage of fat to survive.
Their humps contribute to the camel staying cooler because all the body fat
is concentrated to one area, instead of being spread throughout the body. Also
camels are great at handling changes in body temperature. They need to reach
temperatures over 41oC before they begin to sweat. And when they do sweat, it
evaporates while on the camel’s skin, instead of on its coat. This cools the camel
much faster. Their special coats also help them adapt to the heat. The coat is
thick, it reflects the sunlight and protects the camel from the heat that rises
off the desert sand.
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An adult camel measures just over 1.83 metres tall at its shoulder and over
2.13 metres tall at its hump or humps. There are two kinds of camels, those with
one hump and those with two humps. Camels with one hump are called Dromedary
or Arabian camels. Camels with two humps are called Bactrian camels.
Besides their humps, camels have a lot of interesting features. They can
live between 40-50 years. They can carry about 181 kilograms and run up to 40
miles per hour. It’s true that camels can go long periods of time without drinking
water and they can drink about 98 litres of water at a time. If that’s not
interesting enough, camels have three sets of eyelids.
By Kelly Hashway
1. Put a tick () in a box to show the correct answer. (3 marks)
a) A camel’s hump is used to store
water.
fat.
food.
vegetables.
b) A hump can weigh up to
36oC.
36 kilograms.
36 metres.
36 litres.
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c) Camels can go for long periods without
carrying a lot of kilograms.
stopping to breathe.
eating lots of fat.
drinking water.
2 Put a tick () to show whether each sentence is TRUE or FALSE.
(6 marks)
TRUE FALSE
a) Human beings store fat in the hump.
b) Camels eat only every two weeks.
c) The coat protects the camel from the heat.
d) An adult camel can be as tall as 2.13 metres
and over.
e) Camels can live between 10-20 years.
f) This information was written by Kelly
Hashway.
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3 The words below are scrambled words from the
comprehension. Unscramble each word and write it on
the line. Check with the passage to make sure each
word is spelt correctly. There is a hint for every word
to help you. (4 marks)
a. s e e r t d = ____________________
hint: land where food and water is scarce
b. n m a l a i s = ____________________
hint: these can be domestic or wild
c. e i s d l y e = ____________________
hint: these are found in the face
d. t r m e t e u e p a r = ____________________
hint: this can be hot or cold
4 Fill in with a suitable noun from the story. (3 marks)
a. A camel’s _________________ is a storage place for fatty tissue.
b. Sweat evaporates while on the camel’s _________________.
c. Camels can drink about 98 litres of _________________ at a time.
5 Answer the following questions from the passage. (4 marks)
a. Why do camels store fat in the hump?
________________________________________________________
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b. Mention two interesting features that the camels have.
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
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B. Language 10 marks
B1. Fill in with the verb in the present simple.
The first one has been done for you. (5 marks)
a) My mum cooks (cook) pasta every Sunday.
b) In Winter it often __________________ (rain) heavily.
c) We never __________________ (wear) light clothes.
d) Mum __________________ (prepare) hot chocolate for
us.
e) Dad __________________ (collect) wood for our fireplace on Mondays.
f) It __________________ (to be) nice to stay indoors sometimes.
B2. Look at the picture underneath. Fill in with the correct preposition.
The first one has been done for you. (3 marks)
a) At the park there are some happy children.
b) A girl is going ______________ the slide.
c) Two children are ______________ the swing.
d) There is a colourful ball _______________ the slide.
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B3. Fill in with a verb in the present continuous (doing word).
The first one has been done for you. (2 marks)
a. The birds are singing (sing).
b. Sally _______ __________________ (dry) her hair
now.
c. Brian _______ __________________ (play) the
guitar at the moment.
C. Writing
C1. Look at the pictures. Continue the following sentences with three words
or more. (6 marks)
Example:
I’m staying at home because I feel sick.
a) The monkey takes a banana because ________________
_______________________________________________________.
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b) The boy is crying because ________________________
________________________________________________________.
c) I feel happy because ___________________________
________________________________________________________.
C2. You are in the classroom. Write down two more rules. (4 marks)
Example: Rule 1: Put your hands up to speak in class.
Rule 2: ______________________________________________________
Rule 3: ______________________________________________________
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C3. Composition. (20 marks)
In not less than 90 words write ten sentences or a paragraph on ONE of
the following:
a. The wizard
The given information may help you.
Describe him Where he lives What he does
old
weird
powerful
tower/castle
alone
faraway land
magic
potions
wand
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b. My favourite park
Describe where the park is, how you get there and
what you like doing best at the park.
These words may help you: slide, swings, see-saw,
greenery, children, fresh air, relax.
c. Write a letter to your friend Sam. You are inviting him/her for an
afternoon at your house.
Don’t forget to write:
the address
the date
the greeting
the reason why you are writing this letter
your goodbye
These words may help you: cake, games, craft, computer, garden, chat, secret.
d. Picture Composition: At Play
Look at the pictures carefully. Write about what happens in the pictures.
The following words and phrases may help you: playtime, blocks, to fall over,
juggling, showing off, backache, to take care of.
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Title Number: _________.
Plan your writing in the box below.
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