myUASARevision for UASA
More
My progress
Practice paper, not an official KPM paper
English
Ujian Akhir Sesi Akademik

English

Tingkatan 5, Paper 1: 50 minutes; Paper 2: 70 minutes, 100 marks
Nama / Name
Kelas / Class
Tarikh / Date
Markah / Marks:      / 100
Instructions
  1. This model paper has Paper 1 (Reading and Use of English, 40 marks) and Paper 2 (Writing, 60 marks). In the real SPM the two papers are taken separately and each lasts 1 hour 30 minutes.
  2. Answer all questions in Paper 1 and in Parts 1 and 2 of Paper 2. In Paper 2 Part 3, choose one question.
  3. Paper 1: choose or write the answer for each question.
  4. Paper 2: write your answers in the spaces provided.

Practice shows answers as you go. Exam times you and hides answers until you submit.

Paper 1 Part 1

8 marks
You should spend about 8 minutes in this part. Read the text carefully in each question. Choose the best answer A, B, C or D.
1

Question 1

PAYA BAKAU WETLAND PARK
Please help us protect the birds.

Stay on the boardwalk. Do not feed the birds or the monkeys.
There are no rubbish bins in the park, so please take your litter home.
Dogs on leads only.
Bird tower open 8.00 a.m. to 5.00 p.m.
What should visitors do with their rubbish?
Show answerHide answer
C
There are no rubbish bins in the park, so please take your litter home. A is wrong because there are no bins. The sign never mentions rangers collecting litter (B) or a gate (D).
For the teacher: Understanding, low difficulty, Unit 5, standard Reading: short text, notice
Textbook p. 58
2

Question 2

Good morning, Mr Tan. Your booking at Seri Pantai Hotel starts on Tuesday, 12 March. Rooms are ready from 3.00 p.m., but you may leave your luggage at the front desk if you arrive earlier. Breakfast is served on the second floor from 7.00 to 10.00 a.m. Please note that the swimming pool is closed for cleaning until Thursday.
Front Office, Seri Pantai Hotel
Mr Tan arrives at 11.00 a.m. on Tuesday. What can he do?
Show answerHide answer
B
Rooms are ready only from 3.00 p.m. (A), but luggage can be left at the front desk if a guest arrives earlier. Breakfast ends at 10.00 a.m. (C) and the pool is closed until Thursday (D).
For the teacher: Applying, low difficulty, Unit 9, standard Reading: short text, message
Textbook p. 110
3

Question 3

KAMPUNG BATU HERITAGE TRAIL

A 1.5 km walk past twelve old houses, a stone well and a mosque more than a hundred years old. Pick up a free leaflet at the museum entrance, or join a guided tour (RM8 a person, minimum four people). We recommend shoes with a good grip, as the old stone steps can be slippery after rain. The trail is not suitable for wheelchairs.
Why does the leaflet advise visitors to wear shoes with a good grip?
Show answerHide answer
D
the old stone steps can be slippery after rain. The trail is only 1.5 km (A), and the leaflet says nothing about fast guides (B) or a river (C).
For the teacher: Understanding, medium difficulty, Unit 10, standard Reading: leaflet extract, reasons
Textbook p. 123
4

Question 4

BOOKS FOR EVERY CHILD
Hundreds of children in our district start the school year without a single textbook.
Bring your old storybooks, dictionaries and textbooks (in good condition, please) to the blue boxes at the Community Hall before 30 June.
Volunteers are also welcome to help sort the books on Saturday 5 July at 9.00 a.m.
The appeal is mainly asking people to
Show answerHide answer
B
The main request is Bring your old storybooks, dictionaries and textbooks (in good condition). Helping to sort the books is only an extra offer. Nothing is said about buying new books (A), teaching (C) or repairs (D).
For the teacher: Understanding, low difficulty, Unit 12, standard Reading: appeal, purpose
Textbook p. 148
5

Question 5

Attention, all students. Because of the haze, the inter-house athletics meet planned for Friday has been postponed to Monday, 14 July. After-school training is cancelled until further notice. Students who have already handed in their entry forms do not need to submit them again. Anyone who wishes to withdraw should inform Mr Zain by Thursday.
Ina has handed in her form and still wants to take part. What must she do?
Show answerHide answer
A
Forms already handed in do not need to be submitted again. B contradicts this. Only students who wish to withdraw tell Mr Zain (C), and after-school training is cancelled (D).
For the teacher: Applying, low difficulty, Unit 3, standard Reading: announcement, detail
Textbook p. 33
6

Question 6

Comments (47)
Farah_R: I used to think vloggers just got paid to talk about themselves. Then I made one ten-minute video: three hours of filming and five hours of editing. Respect! Still, I wish they would tell us when a video is sponsored. Otherwise it is hard to trust their reviews.
What is Farah's main complaint about vloggers?
Show answerHide answer
C
I wish they would tell us when a video is sponsored. Farah now respects the hard work (A is not a complaint), and the idea that vloggers only talk about themselves (D) was her opinion before she tried it. Nothing is said about how much they earn (B).
For the teacher: Analysing, medium difficulty, Unit 7, standard Reading: online comment, attitude
Textbook p. 85
7

Question 7

END-OF-SEASON SALE   1 to 15 December
30% off all shoes  |  20% off all bags
Buy two shirts, get the third free
Show your student card for an extra 5% off non-sale items
Sale items cannot be exchanged or refunded.
Maya buys shoes marked RM120 and a bag marked RM60 during the sale. How much does she pay?
Show answerHide answer
A
Shoes: 30% off RM120 is RM84. Bag: 20% off RM60 is RM48. RM84 + RM48 = RM132. B takes 30% off both items, C takes 20% off both, and the student card only applies to non-sale items.
For the teacher: Applying, medium difficulty, Unit 4, standard Reading: sale notice, calculation
Textbook p. 44
8

Question 8

SCIENCE LABORATORY RULES

1. Never enter the lab without a teacher.
2. Tie back long hair and wear goggles when heating chemicals.
3. Report every spill or breakage to the teacher at once. Never touch broken glass with your hands.
4. Do not eat or drink in the lab.
5. Wash your hands before you leave.
Which student has broken a rule?
Show answerHide answer
D
Rule 3 says Never touch broken glass with your hands. Aina follows rule 2, Ben follows rule 2 and Dina follows rule 5.
For the teacher: Analysing, high difficulty, Unit 11, standard Reading: rules, inference
Textbook p. 136

Paper 1 Part 2

10 marks
You should spend about 10 minutes in this part. Read the text below. For 9 to 18, choose the best answer A, B, C or D to fill each gap.
9

Question 9

MY GREENEST HOLIDAY YET
Posted by Dania, 8 April

Last month my family spent a week on Pulau Langkawi, and it was our first truly eco-friendly holiday. My mother, (9) ______ works for a travel agency, found the hotel online. In the past we (10) ______ choose big resorts with the air-conditioning running day and night, but this time we wanted to leave a smaller footprint.

The hotel (11) ______ entirely by solar panels, and by the time we arrived it (12) ______ plastic straws and bottles. The manager encouraged guests (13) ______ their towels more than once. The beach was so spotless that the staff (14) ______ have cleaned it every morning.

On the second day, our guide asked us (15) ______ we had ever walked through a mangrove forest. Our bicycles were old and the brakes were broken, so we (16) ______ them repaired in the village for only RM10. The (17) ______ we cycled, the happier we felt, and we saw eagles, monkeys and even an otter.

I truly believe that if more tourists (18) ______ like us, the island's beaches would stay beautiful for many years.

Choose the best answer for gap (9).
Show answerHide answer
B
My mother is a person, and the missing word is the subject of works, so the relative pronoun is who. Which is for things, whose shows possession and whom is the object (Unit 1, Grammar 2).
For the teacher: Applying, low difficulty, Unit 1, standard Grammar 2: defining and non-defining relative clauses
Textbook p. 11
10

Question 10

Choose the best answer for gap (10).
Show answerHide answer
C
used to + base form describes a past habit that no longer continues: we used to choose. Use to has no -d in a positive sentence, and were used to must be followed by an -ing form (Unit 2.4).
For the teacher: Applying, low difficulty, Unit 2, standard 2.4 used to
Textbook p. 23
11

Question 11

Choose the best answer for gap (11).
Show answerHide answer
D
The hotel does not do the powering: the solar panels do. So the verb is passive, and the story is in the past: was powered by (Unit 7.4).
For the teacher: Applying, medium difficulty, Unit 7, standard Grammar 1: the passive, past simple
Textbook p. 87
12

Question 12

Choose the best answer for gap (12).
Show answerHide answer
A
By the time we arrived (past simple) shows that the banning was finished earlier, so the past perfect had banned is needed (Unit 4.3).
For the teacher: Applying, medium difficulty, Unit 4, standard 4.3 Past perfect simple
Textbook p. 47
13

Question 13

Choose the best answer for gap (13).
Show answerHide answer
C
encourage somebody + to + verb: encouraged guests to use. A bare infinitive is only used after make and let (Unit 9, Grammar 1).
For the teacher: Applying, low difficulty, Unit 9, standard Grammar 1: gerunds and infinitives
Textbook p. 113
14

Question 14

Choose the best answer for gap (14).
Show answerHide answer
B
The writer is sure that the staff cleaned the beach, because it was spotless: must have cleaned is a strong deduction about the past (Unit 6.4). Mustn't is a prohibition and does not fit a deduction.
For the teacher: Applying, medium difficulty, Unit 6, standard 6.4 Deduction in the past
Textbook p. 75
15

Question 15

Choose the best answer for gap (15).
Show answerHide answer
A
A yes/no question is reported with if or whether, and the verb goes back one tense: asked us if we had ever walked (Unit 10.3).
For the teacher: Applying, medium difficulty, Unit 10, standard Grammar 1: reported questions
Textbook p. 125
16

Question 16

Choose the best answer for gap (16).
Show answerHide answer
D
have + object + past participle means we arranged for someone else to do the job: had them repaired (Unit 11.3). Made and let are followed by a bare infinitive.
For the teacher: Applying, medium difficulty, Unit 11, standard 11.3 Causative
Textbook p. 139
17

Question 17

Choose the best answer for gap (17).
Show answerHide answer
B
The pattern is the + comparative, the + comparative: The more we cycled, the happier we felt (Unit 9, Grammar 2). Most is a superlative.
For the teacher: Applying, low difficulty, Unit 9, standard Grammar 2: the more ..., the more ...
Textbook p. 115
18

Question 18

Choose the best answer for gap (18).
Show answerHide answer
C
The result clause has would stay, so this is the second conditional: if + past simple, would + base form (Unit 8.3). Option A is first conditional, and D is the third conditional.
For the teacher: Applying, medium difficulty, Unit 8, standard 8.3 Second conditional
Textbook p. 99

Paper 1 Part 3

8 marks
You should spend about 12 minutes in this part. Read the article and choose the best answer A, B, C or D for each question, 19 to 26.
19

Question 19

THE SEA THAT WALKED AWAY

1 Fifty years ago, the town of Muynak in Central Asia was a busy fishing port. Boats left every dawn and came back full, and a factory canned the catch for shops hundreds of kilometres away. Today a visitor to Muynak stands in a desert, and the nearest water is many kilometres off. Rusting ships lie on the dry sand like toys left behind by a giant child.

2 The Aral Sea was once one of the largest lakes in the world, fed by two great rivers. In the 1960s, however, engineers decided to divert the rivers' water to irrigate cotton fields on the dry plains. The plan worked: the fields turned green and cotton became a valuable export. But the lake depended on those rivers, and it began to shrink. By the time officials understood how serious the problem was, it was too late to save the whole sea.

3 The effects went far beyond the fishing industry. As the lake dried up, the wind lifted salt and chemicals from the old sea bed and blew them into nearby villages, making people ill. Summers became hotter and winters colder, because the water no longer softened the climate. Many fishermen lost their jobs and left to look for work elsewhere. Those who stayed said it felt as if their home had been stolen.

4 There is, however, a small ray of hope. In 2005 a dam was completed to keep the water in the northern part of the lake. Within a few years the water level rose, the salt in the water fell and the fish returned. Fishing boats now set out again from the town of Aralsk. Experts warn, though, that the southern part will probably never come back.

5 Environmentalists say that the Aral Sea teaches us a hard lesson: when we change a natural system to solve one problem, we may create a much bigger one. Engineers in many countries now study its story before they plan new dams and irrigation schemes.

What was Muynak like fifty years ago?
Show answerHide answer
A
Paragraph 1: a busy fishing port and a factory canned the catch. The cotton fields (B) were built later on the plains, and the rusting ships (C) and the desert (D) are what Muynak looks like today.
For the teacher: Remembering, low difficulty, Unit 10, standard Reading: detail
Textbook p. 122
20

Question 20

Why did the engineers divert the water of the two rivers?
Show answerHide answer
D
Paragraph 2: to irrigate cotton fields on the dry plains. Diverting the water made the lake smaller, not larger (A).
For the teacher: Understanding, medium difficulty, Unit 10, standard Reading: reason
Textbook p. 122
21

Question 21

By the time officials understood how serious the problem was, it was too late to save the whole sea. (paragraph 2) This sentence suggests that the officials
Show answerHide answer
C
By the time ... understood means they understood late, after the sea had already shrunk. The text does not say that anyone refused to listen (A) or planned to dry up the sea (B), and the cotton was important to them (D).
For the teacher: Analysing, medium difficulty, Unit 10, standard Reading: inference
Textbook p. 123
22

Question 22

In paragraph 3, the water no longer softened the climate means that without the lake,
Show answerHide answer
B
The sentence before gives the result: Summers became hotter and winters colder. A lake keeps the weather mild, so without it the temperatures were more extreme. Winters became colder, not warmer (D).
For the teacher: Understanding, medium difficulty, Unit 10, standard Vocabulary 1: meaning in context
Textbook p. 123
23

Question 23

According to paragraph 3, why did people in nearby villages become ill?
Show answerHide answer
D
the wind lifted salt and chemicals from the old sea bed and blew them into nearby villages, making people ill. The text mentions no wells (A), and the fish disappeared (B).
For the teacher: Remembering, low difficulty, Unit 10, standard Reading: detail
Textbook p. 123
24

Question 24

Why does the writer compare the rusting ships to toys left behind by a giant child?
Show answerHide answer
A
Forgotten toys are small and left alone, and the giant child makes the place seem huge. This gives the picture of lonely ships on empty sand. The ships are rusting, so B and D do not fit, and nothing suggests they were left for fun (C).
For the teacher: Analysing, medium difficulty, Unit 10, standard Reading: writer's technique
Textbook p. 123
25

Question 25

Which statement about the dam is supported by paragraph 4?
Show answerHide answer
C
The dam was built to keep water in the northern part, and afterwards the water level rose ... the fish returned. The southern part will probably not come back (A), and the dam has nothing to do with cotton (B) or temperature (D).
For the teacher: Analysing, high difficulty, Unit 10, standard Reading: detail and inference
Textbook p. 123
26

Question 26

What is the writer's main purpose in this article?
Show answerHide answer
B
The last paragraph states the lesson of the story: when we change a natural system to solve one problem, we may create a much bigger one. The article describes a disaster, so it is not trying to attract tourists (A).
For the teacher: Evaluating, high difficulty, Unit 10, standard Reading: purpose
Textbook p. 123

Paper 1 Part 4

6 marks
You should spend about 10 minutes in this part. Read the article below. Six sentences have been removed from the article. For 27 to 32, choose from the sentences (A - H) to fit each gap. There are two extra sentences which you do not need to use.
27

Question 27

BOOKS ON THE BUS
A volunteering project brings reading to the villages

When Nadia Hamid, a university student, volunteered at a rural primary school three years ago, she was surprised to find that most of the children had never owned a book. (27) ______ The nearest public library was ninety minutes away by bus, and few families owned a car.

Nadia decided to act. With ten friends and a borrowed minibus, she began taking boxes of donated books to different villages every second Saturday. (28) ______ Each volunteer then takes a small group of children and reads aloud for an hour.

The project grew faster than anybody expected. (29) ______ Local companies offered to pay for the petrol, and a bookshop now sells the project new titles at half price.

The benefits are not only for the children. (30) ______ One student said that she used to be too shy to speak in class, but after a few months of story sessions she could even act out the characters.

Teachers in the villages have noticed changes, too. (31) ______ "One boy who used to hate reading now asks for a new story every week," said a headteacher.

Nadia says that the work is far from finished. (32) ______ "If you can give just two hours a month, we can reach another village," she says.

APupils who join the sessions read more often, and their school marks are slowly improving.
BWithin six months, more than fifty people had signed up to help.
CA town library with a large children's section will open next year.
DMany of the volunteers say that the work has made them more confident.
EShe soon learnt that this was not because the parents did not care about education.
FAt present, twelve villages are on a waiting list because there are not enough volunteers or books.
GOn arrival, the volunteers spread mats under a tree and lay the books out in a reading corner.
HBooks for adults are also kept on the bus, but few people borrow them.
[1 mark] Gap (27)
Show answerHide answer
E
this in E points back to the children who had never owned a book. The next sentence gives the real reason: the library was far away and few families had a car. C looks possible because of library, but a new town library next year has nothing to do with the reason.
For the teacher: Analysing, medium difficulty, Unit 12, standard Reading: gapped text
Textbook p. 148
28

Question 28

[1 mark] Gap (28)
Show answerHide answer
G
On arrival follows the volunteers taking the books to the villages, and the next sentence begins Each volunteer then takes a small group: first the reading corner is set up, then the reading starts.
For the teacher: Analysing, medium difficulty, Unit 12, standard Reading: gapped text
Textbook p. 148
29

Question 29

[1 mark] Gap (29)
Show answerHide answer
B
grew faster than anybody expected is explained by more than fifty people had signed up within six months. The sentence after the gap continues with more help (Local companies offered).
For the teacher: Analysing, medium difficulty, Unit 12, standard Reading: gapped text
Textbook p. 148
30

Question 30

[1 mark] Gap (30)
Show answerHide answer
D
not only for the children tells us the next sentence is about the volunteers. D says what they gain, and the next sentence gives one student's example of becoming more confident. A is about pupils, so it cannot follow not only for the children.
For the teacher: Analysing, high difficulty, Unit 12, standard Reading: gapped text
Textbook p. 149
31

Question 31

[1 mark] Gap (31)
Show answerHide answer
A
changes noticed by teachers = pupils reading more and getting better marks. The headteacher's quotation that follows is an example of a pupil who reads more often.
For the teacher: Analysing, medium difficulty, Unit 12, standard Reading: gapped text
Textbook p. 149
32

Question 32

[1 mark] Gap (32)
Show answerHide answer
F
the work is far from finished is supported by the waiting list of villages, and the quotation that follows asks for more volunteers: If you can give just two hours a month.
For the teacher: Analysing, high difficulty, Unit 12, standard Reading: gapped text
Textbook p. 149

Paper 1 Part 5

8 marks
You should spend about 10 minutes in this part. Read the four texts below, in which four young people describe what they do for the environment. For 33 to 40, choose from the people (A - D). The people may be chosen more than once.
33

Question 33

A   Hafiz, 16
My school is only two kilometres from home, but I used to be driven there every morning. Last year I bought a second-hand bicycle and now I cycle in all weather. I feel fitter, and I am not adding to the traffic jam outside the gate. What annoys me is that our canteen still serves food in polystyrene boxes. I have written to the principal asking her to switch to paper boxes, but nobody has replied yet.

B   Priya, 17
I am the president of our school's Green Club. Last term we put a collection box in the library for old mobile phones and batteries, which a company recycles safely. Many students brought things from home that nobody uses any more. We also persuaded the headmaster to ban single-use plastic cups at school events, and the new rule starts next month. It was not easy, but we gave him a list of the costs and the savings.

C   Mr Lim, 68
Since I retired, I have turned the roof of my flat into a small farm, with chillies, spinach and long beans growing in old paint tins. I put out buckets when it rains and use that water on the plants instead of the tap. My grandchildren visit every Sunday, and I show them how seeds grow and which insects are friends of the garden. They used to think that vegetables simply come from the supermarket!

D   Sofia, 16
During the March holidays I joined a volunteer trip to an island off the east coast. We spent four days cleaning a beach and filled more than sixty sacks, mostly with plastic bottles and fishing nets. A ranger showed us a turtle that had swallowed a plastic bag, and seeing it changed how I think about everything I throw away. Since coming home, I always carry my own cloth bag and water bottle.

[1 mark] Which person went to another place to take part in an environmental activity?
Show answerHide answer
D
Sofia joined a volunteer trip to an island to clean a beach. Hafiz only cycles to his own school, and Priya and Mr Lim are active at school and at home.
For the teacher: Understanding, medium difficulty, Unit 5, standard Reading: multiple matching
Textbook p. 59
34

Question 34

[1 mark] Which person has organised a way for unwanted items to be recycled safely?
Show answerHide answer
B
Priya's club has a box for old mobile phones and batteries and students bring things from home that nobody uses any more.
For the teacher: Understanding, medium difficulty, Unit 5, standard Reading: multiple matching
Textbook p. 59
35

Question 35

[1 mark] Which person uses rainwater instead of tap water for a job?
Show answerHide answer
C
Mr Lim: I put out buckets when it rains and use that water on the plants instead of the tap.
For the teacher: Understanding, low difficulty, Unit 5, standard Reading: multiple matching
Textbook p. 59
36

Question 36

[1 mark] Which person complains that the canteen still uses a type of container that harms the environment?
Show answerHide answer
A
Hafiz is annoyed that our canteen still serves food in polystyrene boxes. Priya's rule is about cups at school events, and it has already been agreed.
For the teacher: Understanding, medium difficulty, Unit 5, standard Reading: multiple matching
Textbook p. 59
37

Question 37

[1 mark] Which person teaches younger members of the family about plants and insects?
Show answerHide answer
C
Mr Lim's grandchildren come every Sunday, and he shows how seeds grow and which insects are friends of the garden.
For the teacher: Understanding, low difficulty, Unit 5, standard Reading: multiple matching
Textbook p. 59
38

Question 38

[1 mark] Which person changed personal habits after seeing an animal that had been harmed?
Show answerHide answer
D
Sofia saw a turtle that had swallowed a plastic bag, and since then she always carries her own cloth bag and water bottle.
For the teacher: Analysing, high difficulty, Unit 5, standard Reading: multiple matching
Textbook p. 59
39

Question 39

[1 mark] Which person has already succeeded in getting a rule changed at school?
Show answerHide answer
B
Priya's club persuaded the headmaster to ban single-use plastic cups. Hafiz has also asked for a change, but nobody has replied yet.
For the teacher: Analysing, medium difficulty, Unit 5, standard Reading: multiple matching
Textbook p. 59
40

Question 40

[1 mark] Which person has stopped using a car for the daily journey to school?
Show answerHide answer
A
Hafiz: I used to be driven there every morning ... now I cycle in all weather.
For the teacher: Analysing, high difficulty, Unit 5, standard Reading: multiple matching
Textbook p. 59

Paper 2 Part 1

20 marks
You should spend about 15 minutes in this part.
41

Question 41

Read the email from your friend, Alex.
Hi,

Our school's Interact Club is organising a volunteer day at the Happy Paws animal shelter this Saturday, from 8.00 a.m. to 1.00 p.m. They need people to wash the dogs, clean the cages and play with the puppies. Would you like to join us? Which job would you prefer, and why? Also, can you bring a friend? Please let me know soon, because I must tell the organiser how many people are coming.

Alex
In about 80 words, write an email to Alex. Reply to all his questions.
From: ______________   To: alex@email.com
[20 marks] Your email
Show answerHide answer
Model answer (about 75 words including the greeting and sign-off)
Hi Alex,
Thanks for inviting me to the volunteer day at Happy Paws. I would love to join you!
I would prefer to play with the puppies because I adore animals, and I think the young ones need plenty of attention. I can also bring my cousin, Farid, who is keen to help.
Please tell the organiser that we will bring our own gloves and water bottles.
See you on Saturday!
Best wishes,
Mei

Alex asks four things: will you come, which job and why, can you bring a friend, and whether you can reply soon. Answer every question, give a reason for the job, and end with a friendly line. Do not copy whole sentences from Alex's email.

Rating scale used for Paper 2 Parts 1 and 2 (CEFR B1 to B2), 0 to 5 marks for each of the four areas:

ScaleContentCommunicative achievementOrganisationLanguage
5All content is relevant to the task. The target reader is fully informed.Uses the conventions of the task to hold the reader's attention and communicate straightforward ideas.Text is well organised and coherent, using a variety of linking words and cohesive devices.Uses a range of everyday vocabulary appropriately, with occasional inappropriate use of less common words. Uses a range of simple and some complex grammatical forms with a good degree of control. Errors do not impede communication.
4Performance shares features of scores 3 and 5.
3Minor irrelevances and/or omissions may be present. The target reader is on the whole informed.Uses the conventions of the task in generally appropriate ways to communicate straightforward ideas.Text is connected and coherent, using basic linking words and a limited number of cohesive devices.Uses everyday vocabulary generally appropriately, though some words are repeated. Uses simple grammatical forms with a good degree of control. Errors are noticeable but meaning can still be determined.
2Performance shares features of scores 1 and 3.
1Irrelevances and/or misinterpretation of the task may be present. The target reader is minimally informed.Produces text that communicates simple ideas in simple ways.Production is unlikely to be connected, though simple connectors (and, but) may be used.Produces basic vocabulary of isolated words and phrases. Produces few simple grammatical forms with only limited control.
0Content is totally irrelevant. The target reader is not informed.Performance below band 1.

The tick points above give the same 20 marks: five for each area. Tick honestly, then check that your total matches the band you would give each area.

Tick each point you got.
For the teacher: Applying, medium difficulty, Unit 12, standard Writing: informal email, invitation
Textbook p. 156

Paper 2 Part 2

20 marks
You should spend about 25 minutes in this part.
42

Question 42

In your English class, you have been discussing how young people can look after the environment.
Write an essay of 125 to 150 words on protecting the environment in our community.
You must use the notes below to help you.
Notes: Protecting the environment in our community. Why it matters: clean air and water, a healthy place to live. What we can do: recycle and save energy, plant trees. Who can help: schools and residents, the local council. Your own idea.
[20 marks] Your essay
Show answerHide answer
Model answer (about 135 words)
Our community is our home, so we must protect the environment around us. First of all, a clean environment keeps people healthy. If the air and rivers are polluted, many of us, especially children, will fall ill.
There are many things that we can do. We should recycle paper, cans and bottles, and we ought to switch off lights and fans when we leave a room. Planting trees along the road also gives shade and cleans the air.
Schools, residents and the local council can work together. For example, the council can provide more recycling bins, while students can organise a clean-up day every month. Another idea is a community garden.
In my opinion, small actions by everyone can make a big difference. If each of us does our part, our neighbourhood will be a better place for future generations.

Turn each box into one paragraph. Write each note as a full sentence, then add a reason or an example. Do not copy the notes as a list. Your own idea counts as content, so give it a place in the third paragraph or its own paragraph. Finish with your opinion.

This part is marked with the same rating scale as Part 1 (see the table under Paper 2 Part 1): Content, Communicative achievement, Organisation and Language, 0 to 5 marks each. Content 5 means every note is covered and developed, so a missing note or no own idea takes Content down to about 3. Writing under 100 words or over 180 words usually loses a mark in Organisation.

Tick each point you got.
For the teacher: Analysing, medium difficulty, Unit 5, standard Writing: opinion essay
Textbook p. 66

Paper 2 Part 3

20 marks
You should spend about 30 minutes in this part. Write 200 to 250 words. Choose one question only: 43, 44 or 45.
43Choose 1

Question 43

Question 43. Your teacher has asked you to write a story for the school magazine.

Your story must begin with this sentence:

When the bus broke down in the middle of nowhere, we knew our holiday was not going to be what we had planned.

Write your story.

[20 marks] Your answer
Show answerHide answer
Model answer (about 240 words)
When the bus broke down in the middle of nowhere, we knew our holiday was not going to be what we had planned. The driver lifted the bonnet, shook his head and told us that the engine had overheated. There was no signal on our phones, and the nearest village was twelve kilometres away.
My little sister, Alia, began to cry, so Dad suggested that we should walk along the road together while the driver waited for help. At first the walk was almost pleasant: birds were singing and the hills were green. However, dark clouds soon gathered, and within minutes heavy rain was pouring down. We ran into an old wooden shelter beside the road, soaked and shivering.
"If we had left earlier, none of this would have happened," Mum sighed. Just then we heard a motorbike. An old man in a yellow raincoat stopped in front of us and, without asking any questions, offered to take us to his village. He made two trips, carrying two of us each time, and by evening we were sitting in his kitchen, drinking hot ginger tea.
His wife cooked rice and fried fish for dinner, and the children taught Alia to play congkak. We slept on mats, listening to the rain on the roof.
It was not the beach holiday we had dreamed about, but it became the most memorable trip of my life, and we still send a card to that village every year.

Plan a beginning (the breakdown), a problem that gets worse, a turning point and an ending. Keep the opening line exactly as given and then carry on from it: the story is about a journey that goes wrong, so do not change the subject. Use description and feelings and at least one line of direct speech.

Part 3 is marked with the same four areas as Parts 1 and 2 (0 to 5 each; see the table under Paper 2 Part 1). Only one question is answered, so only one is marked.

Tick each point you got.
For the teacher: Creating, medium difficulty, Unit 9, standard Writing: story
Textbook p. 118
44Choose 1

Question 44

Question 44. You see this announcement in an English-language magazine.

ARTICLES WANTED: AN AMAZING PLACE IN MALAYSIA
Write an article about a place in Malaysia that visitors must see. Describe the place, say what visitors can do there and explain why everyone should go.

Write your article.

[20 marks] Your answer
Show answerHide answer
Model answer (about 235 words)
Reaching for the Clouds: Mount Kinabalu
Have you ever stood above the clouds? If you have not, then Mount Kinabalu in Sabah is the place for you. At more than four thousand metres, it is the highest mountain in Malaysia, and it is a World Heritage Site because of its rich plants and animals.
The scenery is breathtaking. As you climb through the park, the warm rainforest slowly gives way to mossy trees and then to bare grey rock. Along the way you may see colourful orchids, giant pitcher plants and, if you are lucky, a few shy mountain squirrels.
Most visitors climb in two days. On the first day, you walk for about six hours to a rest house near the top and sleep there. At 2.00 a.m. the next morning, you set off again by torchlight so that you can reach the summit at sunrise. It is cold, steep and tiring, but when the sun appears above a sea of clouds, every tired step is worth it. Climbers must hire a licensed guide and book their permits months ahead.
You do not have to climb to enjoy the area. There are gentle walks, hot springs and a cool, misty park where you can relax with a cup of tea.
In my opinion, everybody should visit Mount Kinabalu at least once. It will show you how beautiful our country is, and it will make you proud to be Malaysian.

Choose a place you know well enough to give details about. Keep the three parts of the task in order: the place, what visitors can do and why everyone should go. Use a title and address the reader as you. A real place is fine, but only write facts you are sure of; your opinion matters more than numbers.

Marked with the same four areas as Parts 1 and 2 (0 to 5 each; see the table under Paper 2 Part 1).

Tick each point you got.
For the teacher: Creating, medium difficulty, Unit 10, standard Writing: article about a place
Textbook p. 130
45Choose 1

Question 45

Question 45. Your school took part in a river clean-up project last month. Your principal has asked you to write a report on it.

In your report, you should:

  • describe what the students did
  • say what the results were
  • make recommendations for future projects.

Write your report.

[20 marks] Your answer
Show answerHide answer
Model answer (about 235 words)
Report on the Sungai Tenang clean-up project
To: The Principal   From: Chairperson, Green Club
Introduction
This report describes the river clean-up project that our school carried out on Saturday, 14 September, and suggests how future projects can be improved.
What we did
Thirty-five students and five teachers from Form 4 and Form 5 met at the riverbank at 8.00 a.m. Wearing gloves and boots, we divided into five groups. Each group cleaned a section of the river for three hours and sorted the rubbish into plastic, glass and metal. The local council provided sacks and a lorry.
Results
We collected eighteen sacks of rubbish, which weighed about 140 kilos. Most of it was plastic bottles and food wrappers, but we also found old tyres and a broken bicycle. Fifteen kilos of cans and bottles were sent for recycling. Residents who live nearby thanked us, and a few of them joined us in the afternoon.
Recommendations
Firstly, the school should work with the council to put more bins along the river. Secondly, the Green Club should hold a clean-up every three months. Finally, students could make posters to teach residents about littering.
In conclusion, the project was a success, and it showed that small actions can make a big difference.

A report is organised under headings. Use one short paragraph for each bullet point and keep the style formal: no chat language and no exclamation marks. Use past tenses for what was done and modals (should, could) for recommendations. Numbers make the results believable, so add some, but keep them sensible.

Marked with the same four areas as Parts 1 and 2 (0 to 5 each; see the table under Paper 2 Part 1). The formal register is the main challenge, so Communicative achievement is the area most students lose marks in here.

Tick each point you got.
For the teacher: Creating, high difficulty, Unit 12, standard Writing: report
Textbook p. 157
Test specification (JSU)
UnitRememberingUnderstandingApplyingAnalysingEvaluatingCreatingItemsmarks
1. It's personal!––1 (1)–––11
2. Life's Great Mysteries––1 (1)–––11
3. The World of Sport––1 (1)–––11
4. Shopping Therapy––2 (2)–––22
5. The Environment–6 (6)–4 (23)––1029
6. Crime––1 (1)–––11
7. The Media––1 (1)1 (1)––22
8. A Hard Day's Work––1 (1)–––11
9. Getting Away––3 (3)––1 (20)423
10. Where on earth?2 (2)3 (3)1 (1)3 (3)1 (1)1 (20)1130
11. High-Tech World––1 (1)1 (1)––22
12. Happy to help!–1 (1)1 (20)6 (6)–1 (20)947
Total2 (2)10 (10)14 (33)15 (34)1 (1)3 (60)45140
Each cell shows items (marks).