Use this for your corrections. Even if you got the mark, copy down the model answer. Some of the questions were not asked. Copy down the questions and the corresponding answers anyway
3. 1) What are the differences in the staircase of the author’s youth and present times? [2] The staircase in the past had handrails while the present one had none.[1] Next, the staircase was narrow in the past, now it is wide[1]
4. 2) Explain what it means by the phrase, “my old abode became a safety hazard.” (Line 6), paying special attention to the words in italics. [2] It means that the author’s ex house [1] had become a dangerous place / danger zone. [1]
5. 3) From Paragraph 2 In your own words, write down the signs that show that the houses were not well taken care of. [3] -Plaster was coming out from the exterior of structures. (Plaster was falling off from the weather beaten walls of buildings) -Small green plants are growing out of the holes. (Small green plants sprouted from multiple cracks) -Paint is dropping off and revealing old wood. (Paint peeled from the windows, exposing wood which had list its shine) [1m each] Note: Words in brackets and italics are as found in the passage, if repeated, no marks given.
6. 4) From Paragraph 3List the two signs that hygiene was a major problem in Pagoda street. [2] -Heaps of rubbish with dirty water seeping through could often be seen beside the sewage drain along the roads and in the alleys.[1] -Pagoda Street was filled with dust and flies abound. [1]
7. 5) What was the main mode of transport for the people then? [1] -It was by foot / walking about. [1]
8. 6) From Paragraph 4 What does the word “mobile” in line 24 tell you about the nature of these hawkers’ businesses? [1] They are always on the move / their stall has no fixed position.
9. 7) What is the nationality of the “clothman”? [1] He is a Chinese
10. 8) From paragraph 6:Why do you think the tooth – extractor’s “…brightly – lit stall displayed lots of decayed teeth as promotion?” (lines 38-39) Pay special attention to the words in italics. [2] He wanted to impress others that he is effective in extracting teeth [1] and his brightly lit stall could possibly for attracting children who may be scared of tooth extraction. [1]
11. 9) In your own words, what was the main activity around South Bridge Road near the end of the Japanese Occupation? [2] The main activity was buying and selling [1] (trading) of seconds hand items [1] (used goods) [No marks allocated if the words in italics were used]
12. 10) From paragraph 7:What does “I saw people.. Snaking through the bazaar.” (lines 43-44) tell you about the atmosphere at the bazaar? [1] It was very crowded. [1]
13. 11) What roles did the people who set up the gambling stall play? [3] There were the bankers [1] and the assistants [1] and those who pretended to be winning customers. [1]
14. 12)Why do you think the cheats had to pack up once they had made a bundle? [1] They probably did not want to stay around and be exposed and thus be caught. [1]
16. 1) From paragraph 1:Pick out the word in the passage that tells you that the author was not the first teacher of the class and that there were others before him. [1] The word is “predecessors.” [1]
17. 2) From paragraph 2:How did the Children respond to his teaching efforts in Arithmetic? [1] They were uninterested / non – responsive.[1]
18. 3) In your own words, explain what it means by “I took great pains with the planning of my lessons” (line 12). Pay special attention to the words in italics. [2] It mans that the author went through great lengths / put in a lot of effort [1] to prepare [1] for his classes.
19. 4) Give an example of “the kinds of problems... within the domestic scene.” (line 14) An example is the weighing of flour for baking a cake.(Any other suitable answer can be accepted)
20. 5) From paragraph 3:What were the two reactions of the children towards a task assigned to them during the ‘silent’ treatment? [2] They would either do the task without any complains [1] or they would just sit and stare at the teacher, without doing their task. [1]
21. 6) From paragraph 4:List the interruption the children are capable of during the ‘noisy’ treatment period. [1] Someone would lift the lid of a desk and let it all with a loud bang. [1]
22. 7) Why does the author need to substitute the oral reading or speaking lesson for a writing lesson during the ‘noisy’ treatment period? [1] The author needed to do it so that they could not write and bang on their tables at the same time. [1]
23. 8) From paragraph 5:Why did the author not tell his colleagues about his difficulties? [1] Either: He wanted to prove to them that men teachers were equally adequate for the job ] OR He wanted to disprove their belief that men teachers are inadequate for the job. [1]
24. 9) From paragraph 6:What was the new addition in the third stage of the children’s behaviour? [1] The use of crude remarks. [1]
26. Passage A 1) disarray – disorder (N) 2) hawking – peddling by calling out (V) 3) entice – attract / allue (V) 4) bustling – energetic / noisy (ADJ)
27. Passage B 1) transient – not permanent / temporary (ADJ) 2) conspiracy – grouping together (N) 3) expedient – means to an end (N) 4) explicit – clearly expressed (ADJ)
31. Full summary answer (150 words) On their first meeting on Friday, the pupils… … did not write much about him in their feedback. The teacher tried to come up with different approaches to understand them better but the pupils did not respond well to him. He put in effort to prepare lessons, making them relevant. He tried to get them involved, but they were uninterested. They would do as they were told during the ‘silent’ treatment. If they were not interested in the assigned work, they would just sit and gaze at the teacher. Next, the ‘noisy’ treatment was when they would lift and let the desk fall on purpose. They knew he could not do anything about it. He went to their neighbourhood to find out more about their lifestyle. The third stage saw the inclusion of crude remarks. Ever since then, ‘bloody’ and ‘bleeding’ were often heard in the class. Other things were also disturbing him but he was increasingly concerned about them.
