CHUNG LING PRIVATE HIGH SCHOOL

Second Semester Exam 2018

Senior Middle 2

ENGLISH

Paper 2

Time: 80 minutes (1 hour 20 minutes)

INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES

1. This exam paper contains ELEVEN printed pages.

2. This exam paper is divided into TWO sections:
Section A : Reading
Part I : Critical Reading (10%)
Part II : Vocabulary (10%)
Part III : Comprehension (10%)
Section B : Language Use
Part I : Error Identification (10%)
Part II : Word Forms (10%)
3. Answer the both sections.
4. Write your answers on the ANSWER SHEETS provided.

DO NOT TURN OVER THIS PAGE UNTIL YOU ARE TOLD TO DO SO

Name: ____________________ School No: __________

Class: ____________________ Seat No:

Prepared by: TAN HUEY MEI Checked by: ALFRED MAH LEE KOK

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 SECTION A READING (30%)

Part I : Critical Reading (10%)

Read each extract and choose the BEST sentence that summarises the extract.

1. Even if the result from a cosmetic surgery is up to expectations, the patients may seek
more surgeries to alter their appearances. They may go for a second, third or even fourth
operation if it makes them feel even better. The more treatments the patients undertake, the
more they have to pay. The high cost is further worsened as health insurance usually does not
cover cosmetic surgery. Patients thus tend to face financial problems in paying their medical
bills. In 2004, the American Society of Plastic Surgery stated that over 8.4 billion dollars had
been spent on cosmetic surgeries, and many people are still struggling to settle their bills or are
over their heads in debt.

A Cosmetic surgery comes with a hefty financial cost.

B Cosmetic surgery is the reason for people getting into debts.
C People get addicted to cosmetic surgery to improve their appearances.
D Heath insurance should have covered the cost of cosmetic surgery and procedures.

2. In the near future, our country’s fishing boats will be required to have a tracking device. This
will certainly be a great boost to the safety of fishermen as authorities can quickly respond to
any mishaps. Incidents of men and boats being lost at sea would be reduced, and in fact more
fishermen may be encouraged to take up this difficult but lucrative work. Besides, this
monitoring device will also ensure that fishing boats do not unknowingly enter international
waters. Furthermore, it can detect any crime and help curb the illegal selling of fish and
government subsidised diesel. Yes, it is time the fishing industry begins to avail itself of this
modern and vital technology.

A In future, fishing boats must have a tracking device.

B Fishermen should use this modern and vital technology.
C This tracking device will ensure there is less crime at sea.
D The monitoring device will increase the safety of the fishermen.

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3. We cannot 100% sure of being protected from diseases. However, there are numerous
precautions we can take. Frequent washing of hands with antibacterial soap; rubbing your
hands vigorously for about 20 seconds will slough away most of the germs off your skin. Wear
face masks in densely populated areas and stay away from people who are showing flu-like
symptoms. If possible, get full vaccination. Exercise regularly and follow a diet that is rich in
vitamins and minerals. For instance, zinc helps build the body’s natural defences.

A Prevention is better than cure.

B We can take some steps to present diseases.
C Vaccination is the last resort of combat illnesses.
D Washing the hands is the best way to prevent infection.

4. In my opinion, it is not necessary to increase the number of school days in order to provide a
solid education to our children. I strongly believe that the more important point is for us to
change the focus of our children’s education. Right now we are focusing more on giving hard
facts to our children rather than building skills. Let us take the subject of history. I believe it is
more important for the children to develop the skills in analysing an event based on things
happened in the past rather than just to memorise and regurgitate hard facts in examinations.

A Education enables students to learn and memorise facts.

B It is important to change our focus on having a solid education.
C Education should not focus on facts but also building analysing skills.
D A solid education does not mean increasing the number of school days.

5. Six blind men wanted to know what an elephant was. The first, touching its leg, declared that
the elephant was a big pillar. The next, held its tail and said the animal was a rope while the
third got the mammal’s trunk and was convinced it was a thick tree branch. Reaching the
creature’s ear, the fourth announced it was a big hand fan. Meanwhile, the fifth rubbed under
the mammoth’s stomach and was positive it was a wall. The last man grabbed its smooth ivory
tusk and shouted that the beast was nothing but a solid pipe. An argument started with each
insisting he was right. Then the mahout spoke, ‘You are all right. The elephant has each feature
you mentioned. Everyone felt a different part of the beast and so you have different ideas.’ On
hearing this, the men stopped arguing.

A Be tolerant of the different viewpoints of others.

B The elephant has each feature the men mentioned.
C Six blind men wanted to know what an elephant was.
D An argument started with each man insisting he was right.

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Part II : Vocabulary (10%)

Read the following passage carefully and choose the most appropriate meaning of each word or
phrase printed in bold as used in the passage.

1 Reports of sea turtles widely hunted for their meat and eggs, although disheartening,
have only served to spur Sabah Parks to step up turtle conservation efforts. It is believed that
some of the turtles hunted in neighbouring countries were those which have been laying eggs
at Sabah’s three turtle island parks of Selingan, Bakungan Kecil and Gulisan. An aluminium
tag clipped on a turtle which had landed on Selingan to lay eggs in 1984 was found on a 5
brutally-killed turtle in the Kai Kecil Island in Indonesia.

2 This indicated that some of the turtles hunted on the Kai Islands are those which have
been coming to lay eggs in the three turtle islands in Sabah. Data collected by turtle
conservation experts suggest this is a serious problem requiring a range of solutions, and with
an underlying need for community awareness. If hunting continues and no conservation 10
efforts are made, it is only a matter of time before the sea turtles, despite their current massive
population, become extinct.

3 Located about 40 km north of Sandakan, the Selingan, Bakungan Kecil and Gulisan
islands are popular nesting grounds for the green turtle and hawksbill. The islands are among
the few places in the world where turtles come to lay eggs without fail every night. The three 15
islands are also listed among the seven most popular turtle nesting grounds in the world. It
would be a delight to see green turtles and the hawksbills coming to the shore of the islands
to lay eggs as early as 7 p.m.

After the turtles have finished laying eggs, park rangers will clip a numbered aluminum
tag at the trailing edge of the left flipper of the turtles before they return to sea. The tag is to 20
indicate the turtle has landed on the islands to lay eggs. Since 1977, Sabah Parks had tagged
a total of 51,700 turtles.

Besides the rare opportunity of watching turtles lay eggs, visitors will also be able to
watch park rangers releasing hatchlings into the sea. The hatchlings are released between 10
p.m. and 11 p.m. to prevent them from becoming prey to eagles, birds and other predators. 25
They are also released at different places to confuse predators. Hatcheries have been set up in
all three islands managed by well-trained park rangers.

(Adapted from ‘Sabah Bid to Turn the Turtle Tide Around’

by Joniston Bangkuai, New Straits Times)

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6. The word ‘disheartening’ (line 1) means .
A heartless C disastrous
B deepening D disappointing

7. The phrase ‘to spur’ (line 2) can best be replaced with .

A to wake up C to enable
B to inspire D to legalise

8. From the phrase ‘a brutally-killed turtle’ (lines 5 – 6), we know that the turtle had .
A died mercifully C died a cruel death
B died a slow death D been killed deliberately

9. The phrase ‘a range of solutions’ (line 9) can best be replaced with .

A a list of actions C a variety of answers
B a number of causes D a number of measures

10. The expression ‘community awareness’ (line 10) can be defined as .

A group actions C public consciousness
B group understanding D people-oriented actions

With reference to the word ‘massive’ in the expression ‘despite their current massive
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population’ (line 11), we learn that the current population of turtles is .
A large C dwindling
B active D unlimited

According to the writer, the ‘turtles come to lay eggs without fail every night’ (line 15). This
12.
means that the turtles will .
A fail to return to lay eggs C definitely return to lay eggs
B attempt to return to lay eggs D return periodically to lay eggs

13. The word ‘delight’ (line 17) can be defined as .

A surprise C diligence
B pleasure D consciousness

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14. The phrase ‘to indicate’ (lines 20 – 21) can best be replaced with .
A to show C to record
B to brief D to dictate

In the last paragraph, we are told that watching turtle lay eggs is a ‘rare opportunity’ (line
15.
23). This means that we have .
A a slim chance to watch turtle lay eggs
B a unique experience to watch turtle lay eggs
C a wonderful chance to watch turtle lay eggs
D a golden opportunity to watch turtle lay eggs

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Part III : Comprehension (10%)

Read the following passage carefully and then answer the questions that follow. Select the BEST
answer for each question from the options A, B, C and D.

1 Society does not seem to give much leeway to women compared to men, or at least
that is how some women see it. Women seem to have to conform to more societal rules
and regulations. They cannot be seen to be loud, forthcoming, assertive (which men term
as aggressive) and gregarious. They have to be chaste and dress in cetain ways (in fact,
they are expected to take more pains in dressing and grooming). Sometimes, their fellow 5
women perpetuate these expectations through the generations.

2 Back in the old days, there were a lot of rules and regulations which women had to
conform to. While it was usually all right for boys to be a bit wild because ‘boys will be
boys’, girls on the other hand were expected to be prim and proper. However, times have
changed. According to Nor Malina, a single career woman in her twenties, women can be 10
seen letting their hair down and partying hard nowadays. Nevertheless, for Malina, peer
pressure comes from her fellow women. In her office, she finds women gossiping about
female co-workers who are not ladylike. ‘They talk about me, and the people I’m close to,
but I’m not bothered by what they say about me. I know what I’m doing,’ she asserts.

3 When it comes to seeking a suitable job, there is a certain mentality or stereotype 15

about things a woman should and should not do. There is still that perception that there are
jobs which are less suitable for men and more suitable for women. A frequent piece of
advice women are accustomed to is, ‘Never be a doctor, it is too stressful. Be a teacher,
then you can come home early after work and take care of the household.’ Hence, for most
Asian women, having a prestigious job such as that of a doctor is regarded as a great career 20
achievement.

4 As for marriage, Asian women are generally expected to be married by a certain

age. However, women who choose to put their careers first remain single well into their
thirties. Consequently, some feel pressured by family and friends to tie the knot. On the
other hand, it is deemed all right for a man to be forty and single. On top of that, if a couple 25
were to divorce, society has the tendency to blame the woman, saying the marriage did not
work because she did not satisfy her husband’s needs or did not carry out her duties as a
wife well. Thus, a woman’s right to prioritise other things such as career over marriage is
often curbed.

5 On the social plane too, women have more to conform to. For instance, after work, 30
it is acceptable for men to socialise and have a drink at a nightspot, but women have to
think twice. Of course, they can go out with friends, but that is not possible all the time
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 because they are expected to go home and attend to family responsibilities. So, women do
face that kind of pressure a little more than men. Also, women have to deal with the
mindset that a married woman should not be mingling with another man in public.
Sometimes, they may have to take their business partners out for a meal or drink, but this 35
does not mean that they are promiscuous. It is certainly unjust for society to think that way.

6 Incidentally, there are also women who went against societal norms at first but
changed their ways later on. One of them is Lau, a retired teacher, who confesses that when
she was young, she did not have the desire to marry as she thought that being single was
better and that she would have more freedom to do what she wanted. However, all that 40
changed when she met her husban, who changed her perception of marriage. She says that
after marriage, she was obliged to spend a lot of time looking after the children. However,
it was not because of what people would say about her but, rather, because she felt it was
her responsibility to do so.

16. The word perpetuate (line 6) can best be 19. In employment, society
replaced with A holds stereotypical views on
A pass C carry women
B force D continue B does not expect too much from
women
17. According to paragraph 1, women those
C regards men and women in the
days were not be able to
same manner
A laugh loudly and angry
D finds men to be more responsible
B be talkative and hardworking
than women
C talk loudly and sleep soundly
D show their confidence and be 20. In paragraph 4, the writer develops his
sociable ideas through
A cause and effect
18. According to Nor Malina, women
B problem and solution
nowadays
C compare and contrast
A have to abide by a lot of rules
D example and illustration
B enjoy being driven around by their
husbands
C are exerting pressure on their male
colleagues
D are free to enjoy themselves
without inhibitions

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21. All the following are true about Asian 24. Lau did not want to get married at first
societies except the fact that they because she thought that
A respect career women A her husband would make her
B pressure women to marry early change her mind about things
C find it acceptable for men to marry B marriage would make her lose her
late freedom
D usually blame women for martial C she would have to take care of
problems children
D people would gossip about her
22. The word promiscuous (line 36) can be
defined as
25. The purpose of the article is to
A frigid C virtuous
A inform C entertain
B chaste D licentious
B criticise D provide solutions
23. The words that way (line 37) refer to the
belief that
A married women should stay at
home after work
B married women should be
responsible for their families
C married women who go out with
other men are immoral
D there is nothing wrong if married
women spend time with friends

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 SECTION B LANGUAGE USE (20%)

Part I : Error Identification (10%)

In each of the sentences below, four parts are underlined and lettered A, B, C and D. One of these
parts contains error. Decide whether it is A, B, C or D.

26. Most housewives like to shop at pasar malam because of the low prices and the
A B C
conveniences.
D
27. Every day the Eskimo sculptors worked with shifts in the Canadian pavilion at the Expo.
A B C D

28. If we are serious about the conservation of wildlife, we could certainly help curb
A B C
indiscriminate exploitation.
D

29. The girl was hanging by her hands from the railings of a balcony which was in the twelfth
A B C
floor of the high-rise block.
D

30. A survey found that parents were hesitate in their efforts to establish healthful eating habits
A B C
for their children.
D

31. The science teacher, as well as the language teachers, are giving extra tutorial sessions
A B
to assist the weaker students in the coming final exam.
C D

32. If you are caught far away from a building during a thunderstorm, crouching does not make
A B
you any safer outdoor.
C D

33. The famous villain was eventually convicted and sentenced to life imprisonment for murder
A B C D
and rape.

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 34. In some highly polluted areas, many marine species have died, left some hardy ones
A B C
fighting for survival.
D

35. The comfortable accomodation of Mei Hotel Penang is ‘home away from home’ that allows
A
travellers to conveniently explore George Town’s myriad heritage and culinary
B C
attractions.
D

Part II: Word Forms (10%)

Read the passage and then fill in each blank with the correct form of word in the brackets.

Exist Interviews

If you are thinking of leaving your job, you may think that handing in your letter of
(36) …….. (resign) is the end of the matter. However, an increasing number of companies now
conduct ‘exist interviews’ with staff in an attempt to improve staff retention and communication.

For the employee, an exist interview may feel like an ideal opportunity to rant and rave
about every little (37) …….. (annoy) that has troubled them since they got the job. However,
(38) …….. (bear) in mind that you will probably still need a (39) …….. (refer) from these people,
it is best to avoid getting angry or (40) …….. (emotion), and just answer the questions as camly
and with as much (41) …….. (honest) as possible.

For employers, the exit interview is a rare opportunity to gather some valuable information
about the way staff perceive the internal workings of the company. (42) …….. (Exist) employees
may not wish to cause (43) …….. (offend) to the boss or damage their chances of promotion, so
are unlikely to (44) …….. (close) their real feelings about the company. However, someone who
has already resigned is more likely to be (45) …….. (true) when giving their opinions.

END OF QUESTION PAPER

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