The Exam Coach 11+ CEM English & Verbal Reasoning Paper 3

11+ CEM English & Verbal Reasoning Paper 3

50 Minutes

60 Questions

Instructions There are 3 sections in this paper. The time allowed for each section is stated below. 1. Comprehension - 20 minutes 2. Vocabulary - 15 minutes 3. Missing Word Sentences - 15 minutes Read the instruction given at the beginning of each section before answering the questions. Each question is worth 1 Mark. Section 1 - Comprehension

Carefully read through the passage of writing, then answer the questions that follow.

Circle your chosen answer for each question. You will have four options (A - D).

You have 20 minutes to answer 20 questions.

Example:

A) Which of the following words is closest in meaning to the word “apathetic”? a) Uninterested b) Amazed c) Agitated d) Pitiful

The answer here is A as apathetic means “showing or feeling no interested or enthusiasm. Therefore, “uninterested” is closest in meaning to the word “apathetic”.

1 © The Exam Coach 2020 ‘Sharks’ by David Schiffman Sharks aren’t as scary as you might think...

There are more than 500 species of sharks swimming in the world’s ocean. Yet when most people think of these cartilaginous fish, a single image comes to mind: a large, sharp-toothed and scary beast. That generalisation does sharks a huge disservice, as they have far more variety than that. They range in size from the length of a human 5 hand to more than 39 feet (12 meters) long; half of all shark species are less than one metre (or about 3 feet) long. They come in a variety of colours (including bubble gum pink), and some feed on tiny plankton, while others prefer larger fish and squids. They are found in just about every kind of ocean habitat, including the deep sea, open ocean, coral reefs, and under the Arctic ice.

10 Wherever they live, sharks play an important role in ocean ecosystems—especially the larger species that are more “scary” to people. Sharks and their relatives were the first vertebrate predators, and their prowess, honed over millions of years of evolution, allows them to hunt as top predators and keep ecosystems in balance.

But sharks are in trouble around the world. Rising demand for shark fins to make shark 15 fin soup, an Asian delicacy, has resulted in increased shark fishing worldwide; an estimated 100 million sharks are killed by fisheries every year. Sharks are accidentally caught in nets or on long line fishing gear. And because of needless fear spurred on by films such as Jaws, the instinct for some is to hurt or kill sharks that come near—such as the controversial shark culling in Australia. (This is despite the fact that you are more 20 likely to be killed by a lightning strike than bitten by a shark, and more likely to be killed by a dog attack than a shark attack.) Combined, these actions have decreased many shark populations by 90 percent since large-scale fishing began.

All of this puts these incredible animals—and the ecosystems in which they play a role—in jeopardy. To protect them, communities and companies around the world are 25 enacting science-based fisheries management policies, setting up shark sanctuaries, and banning the practice of shark finning and the trade of shark fins.

No matter their size, all sharks have similar anatomy. Like other elasmobranchs (a subclass of animals that also includes rays and skates), sharks have skeletons made of cartilage—the hard but flexible material that makes up human noses and ears. This is a 30 defining feature of elasmobranchs, as most fish have skeletons made of bone. Cartilage is much lighter than bone, which allows sharks to stay afloat and swim long distances while using less energy.

2 © The Exam Coach 2020 Every shark also has several rows of teeth lining its jaws. Unlike people, which have a limited number of teeth in their lifetime, sharks are constantly shedding their teeth and 35 replacing them with new ones. A shark can lose and replace thousands of teeth in its lifetime! Not all shark teeth are the same, however. Some have pointed teeth for grabbing fish out of the water. Others have razor-sharp teeth for biting off chunks of prey, allowing them to attack and eat larger animals than bony fishes of the same size. Sharks that eat shellfish have flatter teeth for breaking shells. Filter-feeding sharks that 40 sift tiny plankton from the water still have teeth, but they are very small and aren’t used for feeding.

3 © The Exam Coach 2020 1) Which of the following words is closest in meaning to the word “species” (line 1)?

a) Similarities b) Genres c) Varieties d) Families

2) According to the author, how do most people feel about sharks?

a) Frightened b) Unbothered c) Interested d) Angered

3) What “generalisation does sharks a huge disservice” (line 3)?

a) That sharks are friendly b) That sharks are large c) That sharks are terrifying d) That sharks make good pets

4) “Sharp-toothed and scary” (line 2). Which literary technique is used in this sentence?

a) Onomatopoeia b) Personification c) A metaphor d) Alliteration

4 © The Exam Coach 2020 5) “Half of all shark species are less than one meter (or about 3 feet) long” (lines 5-6). What can we infer from this line?

Option 1: All sharks are tiny. Option 2: Most sharks are not as big as people think. Option 3: Most sharks are not dangerous. Option 4: Most sharks are not as dangerous as we’re taught.

a) Options 1 and 2 only b) Options 2 and 3 only c) Options 1 and 3 only d) Options 2 and 4 only

6) “They are found in just about every kind of ocean habitat, including the deep sea, open ocean, coral reefs, and under the Arctic ice” (lines 7-9). Which literary technique is used in this sentence?

a) Simile b) Listing c) Hyperbole d) Rhetorical question

7) What “important role” do sharks play in ocean ecosystems (line 10)?

a) They eat all the other animals b) They hunt the top predators c) They attack humans d) They are the top predators

5 © The Exam Coach 2020 8) “Sharks … were the first vertebrate predators” (lines 11-12). What does this mean?

a) They were the first predators to have a backbone b) They were the first predators to not have a backbone c) They are big predators d) They were the first predators to vibrate as they moved

9) Why are sharks in trouble across the world?

Option 1: Sharks are caught in fishing nets. Option 2: Sharks are killed to make soup. Option 3: Sharks are killed in films. Option 4: Sharks don’t like dogs.

a) Options 1 and 2 only b) Options 2 and 3 only c) Options 1 and 3 only d) Options 2 and 4 only

10) What type of word is “needless” (line 17)?

a) Adverb b) Noun c) Adjective d) Conjunction

11) What is meant by the phrase “needless fear” in line 17?

a) Sharks are scared of themselves b) Being scared of sharks is unnecessary c) Sharks are not essential d) Being scared of sharks is understandable

6 © The Exam Coach 2020 12) Why does the author tell us that you are “more likely to be killed by a dog attack than a shark” (lines 20-21)?

a) Because dogs are very dangerous b) To make people scared of dogs c) To show that sharks pose little threat to humans d) Because sharks are often attacked by dogs

13) Where is the evidence to suggest that sharks are being protected around the word?

a) Paragraph 1 b) Paragraph 2 c) Paragraph 3 d) Paragraph 4

14) How are sharks being protected?

Option 1: Breeding more sharks Option 2: Banning shark fishing Option 3: Shark sanctuaries Option 4: Banning shark finning

a) Options 1 and 2 only b) Options 3 and 4 only c) All of the above d) None of the above

15) Which of the following are classed as “elasmobranchs” (line 27)?

a) Sharks b) Skates c) Rays d) All of the above

7 © The Exam Coach 2020 16) What does the word “flexible” mean (line 29)?

a) Bendable b) Bent c) Lightweight d) Rigid

17) Why is cartilage useful to sharks?

a) It makes them lighter b) It makes them faster c) It makes them stronger d) It makes them ferocious

18) Why are there so many types of sharks’ teeth?

a) Because sharks have lots of teeth b) Because there are many species of shark c) Because sharks constantly lose and regrow their teeth d) Because sharks eat lots of different organisms

19) Which of the following is most opposite in meaning to the word "limited" (line 34)?

a) Restricted b) Ample c) Amount d) Some

8 © The Exam Coach 2020 20) Overall, how does the author feel about sharks?

a) They admire them b) They fear them c) They dislike them d) They are unbothered by them

End of Section 1.

9 © The Exam Coach 2020 Section 2 - Vocabulary

For questions 1-8, find and write down two synonyms for each question.

For questions 9-16, find and write down two antonyms for each question.

All answers must be chosen from the 25 words provided at the beginning of each section. Each word can only be used once.

You have 15 minutes to answer all 16 questions. Example:

Look at these words, then answer the questions that follow: confusing irked wild average hysterical abandoned tragic happy hot sickened furious crazy fast unhappy concerned dark lost cheerful cold angry chronic black anxious worried bad-tempered

A) Find two words that are synonyms for the word ‘sad’.

A) ______

B) ______Answer: Tragic and unhappy.

10 © The Exam Coach 2020 tremble dissimilar zealous speedy dirtiness wobble grumpy controversial unlike similar confusing torment hopeful quiver close sanguine changeable poverty race pain temporary bad-tempered wriggle nearby spirited

1) Find two words that are synonyms for the word ‘anguish’.

a) ______

b) ______

2) Find two words that are synonyms for the word ‘squalor’.

a) ______

b) ______

3) Find two words that are synonyms for the word ‘shiver’.

a) ______

b) ______

4) Find two words that are synonyms for the word ‘near’.

a) ______

b) ______

11 © The Exam Coach 2020 5) Find two words that are synonyms for the word ‘passionate’.

a) ______

b) ______

6) Find two words that are synonyms for the word ‘surly’.

a) ______

b) ______

7) Find two words that are synonyms for the word ‘optimistic’.

a) ______

b) ______

8) Find two words that are synonyms for the word ‘different’.

a) ______

b) ______

12 © The Exam Coach 2020 tardy repel wonderful sensible aged young delicious intact sociable winner crowded victor elderly ruthless repulse reasonable gregarious late succulent compassionate narrow smooth understandable sudden perfect

9) Find two words that are antonyms for the word ‘loser’.

a) ______

b) ______

10) Find two words that are antonyms for the word ‘early’.

a) ______

b) ______

11) Find two words that are antonyms for the word ‘broken’.

a) ______

b) ______

12) Find two words that are antonyms for the word ‘revolting’.

a) ______

b) ______

a) ______

b) ______

14) Find two words that are antonyms for the word ‘allure’.

a) ______

b) ______

15) Find two words that are antonyms for the word ‘reclusive’.

a) ______

b) ______

16) Find two words that are antonyms for the word ‘youthful”.

a) ______

b) ______

End of Section 2.

For each question you must identify the correct word that completes the sentence by circling your answer.

You have 15 minutes to complete 24 questions.

Example: A) The (gigantic, obscure, tiny) waves were as tall as buildings.

The answer here is gigantic as this completes the sentence so that it makes sense.

2) We were (enthralled, uncovered, informative) by the amazing documentary.

3) After the (amazing, terrifying, scared) boat trip, she vowed never to go on a yacht again.

4) He felt (crazy, obnoxious, exasperated) when he could not find the answer to the maths problem.

5) She worked long hours and found her job (complexity, inert, tiresome).

6) The weather is (exceptionally, exceeding, dreadful) hot today.

7) In summer, he puts sunscreen on as a (wonderful, necessary, exhilarating) precaution before leaving the house.

8) Dancing can be a (strenuous, boring, safe) activity because it involves a lot of movement.

9) The princess was (trapped, within, lived) in the tower for twenty years.

11) My brother is always being (entertained, rude, angry) - pulling faces and misbehaving.

12) He hated public speaking, so when he stepped out on stage he felt (nauseous, concerning, nimble)

13) Police officers must be both brave and (unfair, selfless, arrogant) to help the community.

14) The old castle had been (fixed, broken, vandalised) with graffiti.

15) The (torrential, faulted, endless) river seemed to go on for miles.

16) The (intrepid, aged, cryptic) explorers travelled across entire continents by foot.

17) On my first day of school, I was given a (ridiculous, exhausted, wonderful) amount of homework.

18) The chemist used dangerously (safe, noxious, pleasant) chemicals in her experiment.

20) The mayor delivered an (inspiring, divine, widespread) speech about climate change

21) The garden centre contained a (variety, amount, infinite) of plants and trees.

22) Unfortunately, the team’s perfect record was (complicated, ruined, saved) by their loss in the final game.

23) I always feel (troubled, dreaded, nostalgic) when we drive past our old house.

24) She missed her train, making her (early, late, travelling) for the dentist.

End of test. Remember to go back and check your answers.