English model paper 5: 6th-year concours

Time: 45 minutes · a text, then I. Reading (6 marks), II. Language (8 marks), III. Writing (6 marks: a dialogue and a paragraph), on the model of the concours of the pilot middle schools.

Parts I, II and the dialogue (16 marks) are corrected online. The paragraph (4 marks) is written in the box at the bottom of the page and checked with the list, or on the PDF paper.

I. Reading comprehension(6 marks)

Read the text, then answer: « A Surprise for Mum »

Last Sunday was Mother’s Day. Rayen and his twin sister Eya wanted to surprise their mother, so they planned everything a week before. They saved their pocket money and went to the market in Monastir with their aunt.

At a small shop, Eya chose a pretty silver necklace, and Rayen bought a bottle of jasmine perfume. Then they made a big card at home. Rayen drew red hearts on it, and Eya wrote a short poem: ‘Mum, you are the sun of our home.’

On Sunday morning, the children got up early. They prepared breakfast: hot milk, bread, butter and honey. When their mother came into the kitchen, they shouted, ‘Happy Mother’s Day!’ She was very surprised. She hugged them and cried with joy. It was the best day of the year for the whole family.

True or false? Rayen and Eya are twins. (1 mk)
True or false? The children went to the market alone. (1 mk)
Complete with ONE word from paragraph 2: Rayen gave his mother a bottle of … (1 mk)
What does the underlined word “it” in paragraph 2 refer to? (1 mk)
Find in paragraph 2 a word that means “selected, took the one she preferred”. (1 mk)
Why did the children do all these things? (1 mk)
II. Language(8 marks)

Read each sentence and choose the right answer.

Box: celebrate / right / education / clothing / midnight — Every year, on Children’s Day, we (1) … children’s rights. Which word goes in (1)? (1 mk)
Box: celebrate / right / education / clothing / midnight — Every child has the (2) … to go to school. Which word goes in (2)? (1 mk)
Box: celebrate / right / education / clothing / midnight — At school, children get a good (3) … : they learn to read, write and count. Which word goes in (3)? (1 mk)
Circle the correct alternative: Last year, we (decorated / decorate / will decorate) the classroom for Teacher’s Day. (1 mk)
Circle the correct alternative: (Did / Do / Does) you forget the cake yesterday? (1 mk)
Circle the correct alternative: At the end-of-year party, a clown (showed / shows / will show) us some magic tricks. (1 mk)
Put the word in the right tense or form: On New Year’s Eve, we [blow] … up lots of balloons. (1 mk)
Put the word in the right tense or form: Our teacher was very [surprise] … when she saw the cake. (1 mk)
III. Writing · 1. The dialogue(2 marks)

Malek and Nada are classmates. They are talking after school.

Complete the dialogue with sentences from the box (there is an extra one).

1) Who will bring the cake?
2) I didn’t go to school yesterday.
3) Let’s prepare a surprise for Mrs Sonia!
4) Don’t forget to buy a card!
5) We can decorate the classroom with balloons.

Malek: Teacher’s Day is next Monday. ⬜1

Nada: Great idea! What can we do?

Malek: ⬜2

Nada: ⬜3

Malek: My mother will make a chocolate cake.

Nada: ⬜4

Malek: Don’t worry, I won’t.

Gap 1: Nada answers “Great idea!”. So Malek said: (0,5 mk)
Gap 2: Nada asks “What can we do?”. Malek answers: (0,5 mk)
Gap 3: Malek answers “My mother will make a chocolate cake.”. So Nada asked: (0,5 mk)
Gap 4: Malek answers “Don’t worry, I won’t.”. So Nada said: (0,5 mk)

III. Writing · 2. The paragraph (4 marks)

writing and self-check

Last week, your family celebrated a birthday at home. Write a paragraph (6 to 8 sentences) to say whose birthday it was, who came, how you prepared the party (at least 2 actions), what you did at the party and how you felt. (4 marks)

Steps
  1. I read the task and underline what I must write about.
  2. I write 3 or 4 key words for each point.
  3. I write 6 to 8 short sentences, then I check capital letters, full stops and verbs.
  4. I check with the list, then I compare with the model.
0 wordsYour text is saved automatically in this browser.

I read my paragraph again and tick each point I respected

I answer the task
My paragraph is clear
I write correctly
A model paragraph to compare with (after writing mine)

Last Friday, we celebrated my grandmother’s seventieth birthday at home. My uncles, my aunts and all my cousins came. In the morning, my sister and I decorated the living room with balloons and flowers. Mum made a big strawberry cake and my father bought snacks and juice. In the evening, we sang ‘Happy Birthday’ and Grandma blew out the candles. Then we gave her presents: a warm scarf and a photo album. She hugged everyone. I was very happy to see her smile.

One good example among many: compare, don’t copy.

Model paper written by Scolaire.tn on the model of the 6th-year concours; it is not an official paper.