The English School Entrance Examination 2023

Native English
Time allowed: 1 hour 15 minutes
General Instructions:
1. Answer one question in Section A, and all questions in Sections B
and C
2. Read the instructions carefully before answering
3. Do not spend too much time on questions you find difficult as you
must finish the paper
4. Write neatly and in black ink
5. Check your work carefully at the end
6. No questions concerning the content of the paper are allowed
7. Do Not write your name on any part of the paper.

Time Guidance:
Section A: Composition (35 marks), 30 minutes
Section B: Comprehension and Usage (50 marks), 30 minutes
Section C: Directed Writing (15 marks), 15 minutes

Total marks: 100

The paper consists of 17 pages
Good Luck!

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Section A: Composition
(35 marks)
Choose ONE of the following questions and write about 220-250 words.
Remember the importance of:
• Planning your response
• Vocabulary, expression and written accuracy
• Structure and punctuation

EITHER:
1. Narrative

Write a story about the discovery of something unexpected. Begin with the line:

‘I was strolling along the beach and stumbled upon something dangerous.’
Make sure you include the following within your story:
• your reaction to the discovery;
• what actions you took;
• how this ended.

OR
2. Discursive
Develop your views on the following topic.

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 "The use of electronic devices can have a positive impact on a teenager".

Make sure you refer to the following:

• the use of video games in everyday life;

• the use of a mobile phones at home and at school;
• your personal view about this issue.

OR
3. Descriptive
Imagine you woke up one morning to discover the world had turned to ice.
Describe:
• What you saw and heard;
• What you felt;
• What impressed you the most.

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Question: …………

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5
Turn to the next page

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 Section B: Comprehension (50 marks)

Read the following extract carefully and answer ALL the questions that follow.

The following extract is from the novel ‘The Executioner’s Daughter’ by

Hardstaff, set in Tudor times in the Tower of London where people were
sent for execution. Moss, is the daughter of an executioner.
She’d never get used to beheadings. No matter what Pa said.
Peering through the arrow-slit window, Moss tried to catch a glimpse of the fields
beyond Tower Hill. All she could see were people. Crazy people. Spilling out of the city.
Scrabbling up the hill for the best view of the scaffold. Laughing and shouting and
5 fighting. Madder than a sack of badgers. She could hear their cries, carried high on the
wind, all the way up to the Tower.
‘Get your stinking carcass off my spot!’
‘Son-of-a-pikestaff, I ain’t goin nowhere!’
‘What are you? Dumb as a stump? Move your bum, I said! I’ve been camping here all
10 night!’
‘Then camp on this, coloppe-breath!’
She shook her head in disgust. Execution Days brought a frenzied crowd to Tower Hill.
The more they got, the more they wanted. Like a dog with worms.
Of course, London had always been execution-mad. If there was a monk to be drawn
15 and quartered or a Catholic to be burned, the people liked nothing better than to stand
around and watch. Preferably while eating a pie. But you couldn’t beat a good
beheading. That’s what the Tower folk said. Up on the scaffold was someone rich.
Someone important. Maybe even a Royal. That’s what people came for. Royal blood.
Blood that glittered as it sprayed the crowd. It made Moss feel sick just thinking about it.
20 ‘Moss!’
Pa was calling. She could hear his cries below, faint among the bustle on Tower Green.
‘Moss, MOSS!’
He’d be panicking by now. Well, let him panic. She’d sit tight. She’d wait. With luck, he
wouldn’t find her. Judging by the rats’ nest in the fireplace, no one had used this turret
25 for months. No prisoners, no guards and no one to find a girl somewhere she shouldn’t
be.
Moss scraped her tangle-hair out of the way and pushed her freckle-face to the narrow
gap. Up here, she was ten trees tall. She could see everything. On one side Tower Hill.

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 On the other the river. And, in between, the Tower of London, planted like a giant’s fist
30 in the middle of a deep moat, lookouts knuckled on all corners. It was said that the
Tower was strong enough to keep out a thousand armies. Bounded by two massive
walls, it guarded the city, arrow-slit eyes trained on the river. It was a fortress, a castle
and a prison. Moss had lived here all her life. And in the summer the reek of the moat
made it stink like a dead dog’s guts.
35 ‘Moss!’
Pa’s voice was closer.
‘MOSS!’
Too late she heard his feet pounding up the twist of steps. Now there was no way out.
She scowled and scrunched herself into a corner.
40 ‘Are you up there?’
‘No! Go away!’
His face appeared in the doorway, full of frown.
‘What are you playing at? Don’t do this to me, Moss.’
‘I’m not doing anything.’
45 ‘You know what day it is. Come on. It’s time.’ He stood over Moss, his bear-like frame
blocking the light.
What choice did she have? She dragged herself to her feet and followed him down the
winding staircase, all the way to the ground. The basket was waiting for her at the foot
of the steps.
50 ‘Take it and get behind me.’ Pa thrust the basket into her arms and picked up his axe.

The Tower of London

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Answer all the questions that follow:

1. What can you tell about how the main character feels from the opening paragraph
(line 1)? Use your own words.
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
(1 mark)

2. Re-read paragraph two (lines 2-6).

a) Pick out three phrases from the passage that describe the atmosphere outside.
i. _____________________________________________________________

ii. _____________________________________________________________

iii. _____________________________________________________________

(3 marks)
b) Using your own words, explain what these three phrases tell us about the
atmosphere outside.
i._____________________________________________________________________
ii.____________________________________________________________________
iii.____________________________________________________________________
(3 marks)
3. Re-read lines 14-19.
a) What evidence is there that the crowds found execution day entertaining? Provide
three quotes from the text.
i._____________________________________________________________________
ii.____________________________________________________________________
iii.____________________________________________________________________
(3 marks)

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b) The crowd is described ‘Like dog with worms’ (line 13).
i. What technique is the writer using here?
___________________________________
(1 mark)
ii. Explain the effect of this on the reader.
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
(2 marks)

4. Using your own words, explain what the writer means by each of the words
underlined. They have also been underlined in the passage for your easy reference:

i) ‘catch a glimpse’
______________________________________________________________________
(1 mark)
ii) ‘brought a frenzied crowd’
______________________________________________________________________
(1 mark)
iii) ‘used this turret’
______________________________________________________________________
(1 mark)
iv) ‘reek of the moat’
______________________________________________________________________
(1 mark)
v) ‘pounding up’
______________________________________________________________________
(1 mark)

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5. Re-read lines 27-34.
a) Select two quotes that show us how high up Moss is.
i) ____________________________________________________________________
ii) ____________________________________________________________________
(2 marks)
b) Re-read the image in line 29-30 ‘And, in between, the Tower of London, planted
like a giant’s fist in the middle of a deep moat, lookouts knuckled on all corners.’
i. Identify two techniques used in this image:
______________________________
______________________________
(2 marks)
ii. Explain the effect of these techniques on the reader.
Technique 1:
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
(2 marks)
Technique 2:
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
(2 marks)

6. Using your own words, describe The Tower of London as it is presented in the
passage. Include four details.
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
(4 marks)

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7. Re-read lines 39-50.
i) Which two verbs are used to show Moss did not want to be found?
________________________________
________________________________
(2 marks)

ii) How can you tell that Moss’s father was disappointed in her? Explain using your
own words.
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
(2 marks)

8. What do we find out about Moss from this extract? Identify three things, using your
own words.
_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

(3 marks)

9. Identify a word or phrase from the passage which suggests the same idea as the
words underlined:

i) Moss looked through the narrow windows.

looked: ________________________________
narrow: ___________________________
(2 marks)
ii) His large body.
Large body: ______________________________
(1 mark)

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iii) She reluctantly got up.
Reluctantly:______________________________
(1 mark)

10. Re-read lines 23-26.

a) Identify two simple sentences used in this paragraph.
__________________________________________
__________________________________________
(2 marks)
b) What is the effect of using these simple sentences here? What does it make the
reader feel?
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
(2 marks)

11. Using connectives and/or punctuation, re-write the following sentences turning
them into one.
e.g. Up here, she was ten trees tall. She could see everything.
Up there, she was ten trees tall and could see everything.

i) All she could see were people. Crazy people. Spilling out of the city.
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
(1 mark)
ii) She’d sit tight. She’d wait.
______________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________
(1 mark)

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iii) Up on the scaffold was someone rich. Someone important. Maybe even a Royal.
______________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________
(1 mark)

12. Underline all the adverbs in the following sentence:

She could hear his cries, faintly among the very noisy bustle on Tower Green.
(2 marks)

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Section C: Directed Writing (15 marks)
Imagine you are Moss and have decided to escape The Tower of London and run away from
your father.
Write a letter to your father explaining why you have left.

In your letter, make sure you describe:

• What your experience in the tower has been like;
• how you feel about it and why you have left.
There are 10 marks available for developing ideas from the passage and 5 marks
available for your accuracy and style of writing. Write around 120 words.

Dear Father,

I am so sorry to do this to you – I know how much you rely on my help – but I just had to
get out.

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Your dear daughter,
Moss

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Additional sheet (notes)

This is the End of the Examination

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