Comprehension Corrections

FROM PASSAGE A

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]

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]

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.

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]

5) What was the main mode of transport for the people then? [1]

• -It was by foot / walking about. [1]

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.

7) What is the nationality of the “clothman”? *1]

• He is a Chinese

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

FROM PASSAGE B

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]

2) From paragraph 2:How did the Children respond to his teaching

efforts in Arithmetic? [1]

• They were uninterested / non – responsive.[1]

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.

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)

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]

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]

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]

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]

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]

VOCABULARY

Passage A

• 1) disarray – disorder (N)

• 2) hawking – peddling by calling out (V)

• 3) entice – attract / allue (V)

• 4) bustling – energetic / noisy (ADJ)

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)

SUMMARY

Did you have these points?No. Point from passage In your own words

1 I read through some of the reviews… little attention was given to me.

… did not write much about him in their feedback.

2 It was up to me to find some way to get through to them.

The teacher tried to come up with different approaches to understand them better

3 It was as if I was trying to reach the children through a thich pane of glass

But the pupils did not respond well to him .

4 I took great pains with the planning of my lessons, using illustrations from the familiar things of their own background

He put in effort to prepare lessons, making them relevant.

5 And tried to encourage their participation

He tried to get them involved,

6 But it was as though there was a conspiracy of disinterest

but they were uninterested.

7 ‘silent’ treatment… they would do any task I set them on without any question or protest but equally without any interest.

They would do as they were told during the ‘silent’ treatment.

8 If their interest was not on the task in front of them, they would sit and stare at me.

If they were not interested in the assigned work, they would just sit and gaze at the teacher.

9 ‘noisy’ treatment. During a lesson… someone would lift the lid of a desk and let it fall with a loud bang.

Next, the ‘noisy’ treatment was when they would lift and let the desk fall on purpose.

10 They knew as well as I did that there was nothing I could do about it.

They knew he could not do anything about it.

11 I would sometimes walk around their neighbourhood after school to learn something of their background.

He went to their neighbourhood to find out more about their lifestyle.

12 It was all rather deliberate, the noisy interruption, the crude remark and it heralded the third stage or bawdy stage of their conduct.

The third stage saw the inclusion of crude remarks.

13 From then on the words, ‘bloody’ or ‘bleeding’ were hardly absent from any remark made in the classroom

Ever since then, ‘bloody’ and ‘bleeding’ were often heard in the class.

14 Apart from their language, other things were disturbing me.

Other things were also disturbing him

15 … I could not escape a growing concern about them and about my relationship with them

but he was increasingly concerned about them.

No. Point from passage In your own words

1 I read through some of the reviews… little attention was given to me.

… did not write much about him in their feedback.

2 It was up to me to find some way to get through to them.

The teacher tried to come up with different approaches to understand them better

3 It was as if I was trying to reach the children through a thich pane of glass

But the pupils did not respond well to him .

4 I took great pains with the planning of my lessons, using illustrations from the familiar things of their own background

He put in effort to prepare lessons, making them relevant.

5 And tried to encourage their participation

He tried to get them involved,

6 But it was as though there was a conspiracy of disinterest

but they were uninterested.

7 ‘silent’ treatment… they would do any task I set them on without any question or protest but equally without any interest.

They would do as they were told during the ‘silent’ treatment.

8 If their interest was not on the task in front of them, they would sit and stare at me.

If they were not interested in the assigned work, they would just sit and gaze at the teacher.

9 ‘noisy’ treatment. During a lesson… someone would lift the lid of a desk and let it fall with a loud bang.

Next, the ‘noisy’ treatment was when they would lift and let the desk fall on purpose.

10 They knew as well as I did that there was nothing I could do about it.

They knew he could not do anything about it.

11 I would sometimes walk around their neighbourhood after school to learn something of their background.

He went to their neighbourhood to find out more about their lifestyle.

12 It was all rather deliberate, the noisy interruption, the crude remark and it heralded the third stage or bawdy stage of their conduct.

The third stage saw the inclusion of crude remarks.

13 From then on the words, ‘bloody’ or ‘bleeding’ were hardly absent from any remark made in the classroom

Ever since then, ‘bloody’ and ‘bleeding’ were often heard in the class.

14 Apart from their language, other things were disturbing me.

Other things were also disturbing him

15 … I could not escape a growing concern about them and about my relationship with them

but he was increasingly concerned about them.

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.