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SECTION C

Reading Comprehension

[10 marks]

[Time suggested: 30 minutes]

Questions 12 16are based on the following passage.

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Long, long ago, in !stralia, it is said fish "o!ld tra#el as easil$ on land as

the$ "o!ld swim in water. %t happened, so the stor$ goes, that the whole fish tribe

had been pla$ing tag along a sand$ bea"h near the sea. t last, the$ be"ame

tired of the game. &in'fin, the leader of the fish, said, (Let !s "oast down the

great, bla"k ro"k.( )ow be$ond the le#el shore where the fish had been pla$ing

tag, there were "liffs and ro"ks. *ome of the ro"ks rose straight o!t of the water+

others sloped toward the sand$ bea"h.

igh abo#e the rest towered the great, bla"k ro"k. -he fish "limbed to the

top. -hen, one after another, the$ followed the leader, ea"h gliding head first

down the ro"k. %t was fine sport -hen the fish formed a "ir"le and dan"ed while

&in'fin slid down the ro"k alone. gain and again, he "limbed to the top and slid

down as swiftl$ as an arrow glides from the bow. &inall$ he t!rned a somersa!lt

at the foot of the ro"k and then "alled to the fish to stop dan"ing.

(%t is time to "ook dinner,( said &in'fin. (-here is a good pla"e for a "amp

!nder the trees on the tall "liff $onder.( -he fish "limbed to the top of the "liff

o#erhanging the sea. -he$ gathered wood and heaped it high at the edge of the

"liff. /hen all was read$ for the bonfire, &in'fin r!bbed two sti"ks briskl$ together.*oon a spark fell !pon the wood, and instantl$ the flames leaped !pward. -hen

the fish p!t some roots in front of the fire to roast.

/hile the roots were "ooking, the fish stret"hed themsel#es !nder the

trees. -he$ had almost fallen asleep when s!ddenl$ great drops of rain "ame

splashing down. dark "lo!d, whi"h the$ had not noti"ed, had "o#ered the s!n.

-he rain fell hard and fast and soon p!t o!t the fire. )ow, $o! know this was #er$

serio!s be"a!se people in those da$s had no mat"hes, and it was diffi"!lt to light

a fire. -hen an i"$ wind began to blow too, and the fish were soon shi#ering in

the "old.

(/e shall freee to death !nless we "an b!ild a fire again,( "ried &in'fin.e tried to kindle a flame b$ r!bbing two sti"ks together. e "o!ld not prod!"e

e#en one spark. (%t is of no !se,( said &in'fin. (-he wood is too wet. /e shall

ha#e to wait for the s!n to shine again.( tin$ fish "ame forward and bowed

before &in'fin, sa$ing, (sk m$ father, &l$ing'fish, to light the fire. e is skilled in

magi", and he "an do more than most fish.(

*o &in'fin asked &l$ing'fish to light the fire on"e more. &l$ing'fish knelt

before the smo!ldering ashes and fanned briskl$ with his fins. tin$ thread of

smoke "!rled !pward, and a feeble red glow "o!ld be seen in the ashes. /hen

the tribe of fish saw this, the$ "rowded "lose aro!nd &l$ing'fish, keeping their

ba"ks toward the "old wind. e told them to go to the other side be"a!se hewanted to fan the fire. $ and b$ the spark grew into a flame, and the bonfire

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b!rned brightl$. (ring more wood,( "ried &l$ing'fish. -he fish gathered wood

and piled it !pon the fire. -he red flames roared and sp!ttered, and "ra"kled.

(/e shall soon be warm now,( said &in'fin.

-hen the fish "rowded aro!nd the fire, "loser and "loser. *!ddenl$ a

blast of wind swept a"ross the "liff from the dire"tion of the land and blew the fire

toward the fish. -he$ sprang ba"k, forgetting that the$ were on the edge of the"liff. nd down, down, down, went the whole fish tribe to the bottom of the sea.

-he water felt warm, for the strong wind had dri#en the fire down below too.

-here, indeed, was the bonfire at the bottom of the sea, b!rning as brightl$ as

e#er. ore wonderf!l still, the fire ne#er went o!t like fires do on land. -he water

at the bottom of the sea has been warm e#er sin"e that da$. -hat is wh$, on

frost$ da$s, the fish disappear from the s!rfa"e of the water. -he$ di#e to the

bottom of the sea where the$ "an keep warm and "omfortable aro!nd the magi"

bonfire. t least this is what some people sa$.

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-aken fromhttpwww.k5learning."omsites

12. &rom paragraph 1, what is the name of the leader of the fish

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[1 mark]

13 .&rom paragraph 3,

8a9 wh$ did the fish "limb to the top of the "liff o#erhanging the sea

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8b9 how did &in'fin "reate a spark whi"h fell !pon the wood

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14. &rom paragraph 4,

8a9wh$ was it diffi"!lt to light a fire then

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[1 mark]

8b9 &rom paragraph 5,

8i9whi"h word brings the same meaning to the word :damp;

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8ii9 /ho was skilled in magi"

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15. &rom paragraph ,

8a9what p!shed the fish to the bottom of the sea

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8b9 /h$ do the fish disappear from the s!rfa"e of the water on frost$ da$s

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16. %n $o!r own words, s!ggest a lesson that $o! "o!ld learn from the stor$.

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[1 mark]