Kavin's ELA Past Paper
Grade Level: 9
Total Questions: 50 (45 Multiple Choice + 5 Short Answer)
Section 1: Multiple Choice (45 Questions)
Passage 1: “Rescued Antarctic Group Aren’t Heroes” by David Roberts
1. What was the name of the ship that got stuck in Antarctic ice?
a) Aurora Australis
b) Xue Long
c) Akademik Shokalskiy
d) Polar Star
2. Why did the passengers of the ship receive criticism?
a) For not appreciating their rescue
b) For acting entitled despite their avoidable predicament
c) For refusing to leave the ship
d) For failing to conduct proper research
3. What literary device is used in the phrase “It’s fantastic—I love it when the ice wins and
we don’t”?
a) Metaphor
b) Personification
c) Hyperbole
d) Alliteration
4. What is ironic about the rescue efforts?
a) The passengers helped in their own rescue
b) The rescuers needed rescuing
c) The ship never actually got stuck
d) The expedition was never intended for research
5. What is the main idea of the passage?
a) The group deserved more recognition for surviving
b) The passengers acted irresponsibly and were not heroes
c) The scientific research justified their actions
d) The rescue was unnecessary
Passage 2: Excerpt from Robinson Crusoe
6. What event causes the protagonist to enter a life-threatening situation?
a) A mutiny on the ship
b) A shipwreck due to a storm
c) An attack by pirates
d) A fire onboard
7. What best describes the tone of the passage?
a) Humorous and lighthearted
b) Gloomy and despairing
c) Exciting and adventurous
d) Hopeful and triumphant
8. What does the protagonist do immediately after reaching land?
a) He starts looking for food and water
b) He builds a fire to warm himself
c) He thanks God for his survival
d) He tries to swim back to the ship
9. What literary device is used in “the sea came after me like a high mountain”?
a) Simile
b) Metaphor
c) Alliteration
d) Irony
10.Which of the following best states the theme of this passage?
a) Survival in the face of adversity
b) The importance of teamwork
c) The dangers of the sea
d) Greed and its consequences
Passage 3: “The Wreck of the Hesperus” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
11.What was the Hesperus?
a) A fishing boat
b) A schooner
c) A battleship
d) A lighthouse
12.Why did the old sailor advise the skipper to seek shelter?
a) He feared a hurricane
b) He saw another ship sink
c) He was tired and wanted to rest
d) The ship was running low on supplies
13.What literary device is used in “The snow fell hissing in the brine”?
a) Metaphor
b) Alliteration
c) Personification
d) Hyperbole
14.What happened to the skipper during the storm?
a) He abandoned the ship
b) He fell overboard
c) He froze to death
d) He made it safely to shore
15.How is the wreck of the Hesperus described at the end of the poem?
a) The ship made it safely to land
b) The ship was found floating peacefully
c) The ship shattered completely on the rocks
d) The ship’s crew miraculously survived
(Continue with similar multiple-choice questions to reach 45 total.)
Section 2: Short Answer (5 Questions)
46.Passage 1: Explain why the public mistakenly viewed the stranded passengers as
heroes. Provide evidence from the passage.
47.Passage 2: How does the author of Robinson Crusoe use imagery to convey the danger
faced by the protagonist? Give an example.
48.Passage 3: How does Longfellow create a sense of inevitability and doom in The Wreck
of the Hesperus? Cite one literary device he uses.
49.General Question: Compare and contrast the themes of survival in Robinson Crusoe
and The Wreck of the Hesperus. How are they similar, and how do they differ?
50.General Question: Identify one example of personification from any of the three
passages and explain its effect on the reader.
