Comprehension OE Sem 2

P6 COMPRE OE ANSWER KEY (Past Year PSLE)


Comprehension OE (8) - PSLE Paper

1. They were bored as they had been playing marbles for hours and wanted a change.
2. He was sickly and his mother had warned him against taking risks.
3. It tells us that the cliff was very steep.
4. It was narrow and high up on the cliff.
5. He knew that if he stayed behind with the writer, he would also be teased mercilessly by
6. the boys and he did not want that.
7. He could neither climb down or up to safety.
8. The writer’s dad used a torch in his search for him.
9. It is “treacherous”.
10. It refers to the writer taking one little step up the cliff at a time.
11. He had managed to overcome his fear and conquered the cliff.

Comprehension OE (10) ) - 1994 PSLE Paper

1. It refers to Adam and Mr Wong/ Mr Wong and his son/ Adam and his father.
   
2. He found it ridiculous that both of them were intimidated by a dog.
   
3. It was to confuse the dog so that Adam could make a dash to safety.
   
4. He wanted to help his father deal with the dog.
   
5. It attacked his arm/ hand.
   
6. It is “stood rooted to the spot”.
   
7. He was searching the ground for a branch.
   
8. He wanted to entice the dog with it so that it would attack the branch and not him.
   
9. It limped away.
   
10. He was probably overcome with relief that his father was unharmed/ alright.

Comprehension OE (11) - 1995 PSLE Paper

1. It was Mei Hua.
2. It was to conquer Mount Kinabalu.
   
3. He thought they did not look like typical mountain climbers and felt that they would likely give up along the way.
   
4. The slopes were steep and rocky.
   
5. It refers to the girls climbing the stairs of their eight-storey apartment block every day.
   
6. They attended lectures to learn about suitable clothes, food and safety measures to be taken during the climb.
   
7. It was before dawn/ sunrise.
   
8. They overcame their problems through their sheer determination and will-power.
   
9. Mei Hua had persuaded her into it.
   
10. From being very apprehensive in the beginning, she had become so enthusiastic about such activities that she even suggested going canoeing.

Comprehension OE (12) – 1996 PSLE Paper

1. Sheba was a mother/ female polar bear.
   
2. The first polar bear cub had been born in Singapore.
   
3. It refers to the cub having little chance of survival without the mother’s milk.
   
4. When Sheba’s earlier two cubs had died, she had mourned them and refused to let them be removed instead of eating them.
   
5. He might have caught their human scent and his mother might have rejected him as a result.
   
6. He enjoyed being tickled behind the ears by them.
   
7. It means that while Sheba objected strongly to the father and other female polar bears, Sheba allowed the keepers to go near her cub.
   
8. She was afraid that he would choke on the scales and bones of the fish.
   
9. His mother rescued him ashore.
   
10. She wanted him to learn how to swim by himself/ on his own.

Comprehension OE (13) – 1997 PSLE Paper

1. They used cormorants.
   
2. Taro would be given lesser fish by Koji's grandfather as rental payment for the fishing boat if he had poor catches. .
   
3. This was to prevent the bird from swallowing the fish it had caught.
   
4. Koji’s grandfather gently touched the birds’ heads before they were let off to fish.
   
5. The lines attached to the rings of the cormorants had got entangled with those of the other fisherman’s.
   
6. Both had a close relationship and understood each other’s body language.
   
7. It was to prevent the birds from being suffocated by the tightening cords.
   
8. It refers to the birds lifting themselves from the web and rising into the sky.
   
9. Koji was overwhelmed with disbelief / amazement that his birds came back with fish they had caught despite having been set free by him and his grandfather.
   
10. After the birds had soared into the sky, they never returned because Taro had been unkind to them.

Comprehension OE (14) – 1998 PSLE Paper

1. They were in the Sahara Desert.
   
2. The thought of the windstorm frightened her and made her shiver./
   
3. She was afraid of the coming sirocco.
   
4. They had gone there to pick dates.
   
5. It is “raised in the desert”.
   
6. It means moved away very fast/ ran off at top speed.
   
7. He was unconscious as he had been knocked by the runaway camel and had fallen to the ground with a heavy thud.
   
8. They are “roaring” and “onslaught”.
   
9. The windstorm/ sirocco had stopped.
   
10. It refers to Jane’s quick action of using her cloak to shield them both from the onslaught of the windstorm./
    
11. It refers to Jane’s quick action of covering Mike with the cloak.
    
12. She was relieved that the sirocco had passed over and both of them were safe and sound.

Comprehension OE (15) – 1999 PSLE Paper

1. It was to prevent her from screaming aloud./ She wanted to hold back her screams.
   
2. Her attention was drawn to the dog which was staring at her with hypnotic eyes./ The dog occupied all her thoughts as it was staring at her with hynoptic eyes.
   
3. She was relieved as she thought there was someone to control the dog.
   
4. She saw the gun in the taller man’s hand and feared that the two men might kill her and Donny.
   
5. She was so terrified/ frightened/ afraid/ scared that her voice came out in a whisper./ She was so terrified that she could not speak up.
   
6. It refers to (Joyce) playing the recorder.
   
7. They could be mistaken for rabbits and be shot or they could be killed by the dog.
   
8. He would set the police and the dog on them.
   
9. They are “snooping” and “trespassing”.
   
10. The dog was going to attack/ chase after Joyce/ the children and he wanted to stop it.

Comprehension OE (16) – 2000 PSLE Paper

1. They are “massive” and “gigantic”.
   
2. A full beard hid half of his face.
   
3. Tiny was paralysed in his back legs and his spine had never grown together.
   
4. Tiny was going to die a slow and painful death.
   
5. He expected the biker to be angry and even turn violent.
   
6. It refers to giving Tiny an injection to put him to sleep forever.
   
7. He was afraid he would have to put another kitten to sleep again.
   
8. He was perfectly healthy.
   
9. He was a kind and caring person.
   
10. He wanted to find out if the other bikers were as kind-hearted as Mr Oak Tree.

Comprehension OE (17) – 2001 PSLE Paper

1. It is “ill-defined trail”.
2. The car had run out of water in its radiator.
Or, The leaking radiator caused it to stop in the desert.
3. There were sudden drops and upward slopes that could cause him to get lost easily.
4. He tooted the horn of his car regularly every ten minutes.
5. It means to crowd around/ gather in large numbers.
6. It was when he saw the Bushman.
7. He was ashamed of being so unfriendly/ hostile to the Bushman who was smiling at him.
8. The Bushman had a fire to keep himself warm while the writer was shivering in the cold.
9. He remained in the car even though he was grateful for the Bushman’s company.
10. The Bushman was glad that the writer finally responded to his friendliness.


Comprehension OE (18) – 2002 PSLE Paper
1. It is “feline”.
2. It was the action of picking her up.
3. It is “She’s the head of our household.”
4. They were keeping cats as pets and collecting precious silver.
5. They did not know who the man was and had not invited him to the party.
Or, He was a perfect stranger to them.
6. It is “with confidence”.
7. She had heard noise coming from the library and wanted to find out the cause.
8. She had seen the intruder before as he was the distinguished-looking guest at the party a week ago.
9. It was used as a walking aid and a torch. It was also used as a bait for Helen to show him her collection of fine silver. (Any 2)
10. He was there to check out the family’s valuables as well as to find a way to break into the house.

COMPRE OE ANSWER KEY (SEMESTER 2)

Comprehension OE (4)

1. It bit him just in front of the anklebone. (or ….on the ankle)
0 mark: …..on the foot.
1 mark: …..on the leg.

2. - Its head was attacked by Nosey (or…. by the dog). OR
- Nosey (or The dog) pounced and attacked its head.
- The dog (or Nosey) pounced on/ attacked/ bit its head.

1 mark :
………., and blood flew.
The dog attacked it.
The dog pounced on it.

0 mark: The dog pounced.

3.. - (If he panicked,) His blood would flow faster and the poison would reach his heart faster. OR
- He should not panic so that his blood would not flow faster and the poison would not reach his heart faster.
- His parents had taught him that a rattler’s poison reaches the heart faster if a person’s blood flows faster.

He felt dizzy (or giddy) and weak all over (his body).

0 mark: He felt fuzzy.
0 mark: He felt weak all over and everything started to get fuzzy. (LIFTING)
1 mark: He felt weak all over and everything became fuzzy. (not complete lifting)
1 mark: He felt fuzzy and weak all over.

5. It (or ‘it’) refers to the snake’s fangs (or the snake) injecting a massive amount of venom (or poison) into Keane’s vein (or body). OR …………….into Keane.

1 mark: ………..a / his vein.

6. - There was a musky odour which he (or the Oldhams) had noticed when his (or their) animals were bitten by rattlesnakes.
- David smelled a musky odour which……..
- Keane smelled of a musky odour which David (or the Oldhams) had noticed…….

The sentence is ‘They twisted a tourniquet around Keane’s leg.’

- Overheating of the motor/ caused the engine to cut off. OR
- The overheated motor caused…. OR
- The motor/ engine overheated.

1 mark: - Overheating caused the engine to cut off.
- The damaged motor caused…..
- The motor was overheating.

0 mark: The motor caused the engine to cut off.

He understood that the boy was in danger (or needed help) and that the Oldhams wanted a lift from him (in his car).

7. It is ‘embedded’.

Comprehension OE (5)

(NB: Deduct ½ mark for every punctuation or spelling error up to a maximum of 1 mark )
1. The juice from a blade of roasted snake grass was used to cure severe earache.
Or, Ointment extracted from the aloe vera shrubs was used to heal pimples and acne.
Or, Turmeric paste was used for the treatment of bruises and colds.

2 The group of words is “The tide could well be reversing”. ( 2 mks )
The group of words is “The tide could well be reversing with the work of ethnobotanists”. ( 1 mk )

3. It involves living and working with healers and medicine men in indigenous cultures to learn how plants were used by these cultures to heal and beautify.(2 marks )
- It involves the bulk collection of plant samples from these cultures which he hopes will one day help find herbal cures ( for cancer and Aids). ( 1 mk )
- It involves helping a company market its range of beauty products which made use of his research with ethnic cultures.

4 It is to find herbal cures for cancer and Aids.

5 The word is “indigenous”.

6- He meant that there were no written records of this knowledge. ( 2 mks )
- He meant that the information is passed on verbally. ( 1 mk )
- He meant that the information is passed on through speech. ( 1mk )

7 It refers to the facilities and help that the cultures are getting.

8 - The general public can learn of nature’s usefulness as remedies for the treatment of ailments and also in the making of beauty products.
- They can learn about how herbs ( 1 mk ) are used to heal and beautify. ( 1 mk )
( NB : if the word ‘herbs’ is missing, no marks will be awarded even though the words ‘heal and beautify’ are mentioned )

9. He will normally give himself a ritualistic bath with some of the herbs used by the people of that culture.

10. It means feeling closer to nature.
It means he has washed off his city viewpoint so as not to affect his work in
dealing with the indigenous cultures.
- It is to remind himself that he has left / is no longer in New York. ( 1 m )
- It means that he felt that he is no more from New York; instead it makes him feel like he is one of the natives. ( 1 mk )
- It means that he is of a different culture. ( 0 mk )

Comprehension (6)

1. She was at/in an amusement park. (2 marks)
a theme park/a fun fair/carnival (1 mark)

2. She knew that her father and sister would not follow her to ride the Space Cyclone. (2 marks)
1 mark
She wanted to be alone./It was the one place that nobody would follow her. (1 mark)
None of her family members would follow her. (1 mark)
She wanted to ride something her father and sister dared not ride. (1 mark)

3. She was shocked/surprised/stunned/amazed/astonished/alarmed. (2 marks)

4. She wanted to stop Clara from taking the space cyclone.
Or, She did not want Clara to become sick and vomit on the way home.
Or, She advised Clara not to go on the Space Cyclone.\
Or, She discouraged Clara from taking the Space Cyclone. (2 marks)

She wanted to stop Clara from taking the ride. / She stopped Clara from taking the ride. (1 mark)
She knew what would happen to Clara (0 mark).

5. The word is “dodging”.

6. It was a warning to people with severe heart conditions (weak hearts) to refrain from taking the ride. / not to go on the ride. (2 marks)

7. She was alone/She was not in a group./ She came alone./ She was the only one not part of a group./ Clara went for the ride alone.

8. It means that the queue/line moved ahead in a twisting manner (2 marks).
It means moving to the front. / It means moving towards to the front slowly. (1 mark)
It means moving forward slowly. / It means moving. (0 mark)

9. Her sunglasses might fall off during the ride.( 2 marks)
Her sunglasses might drop down. / … fly off. (1 mark)

10. The sudden movement of the car and the plunge into the darkness caused Clara to scream. (2 marks)
The car lunged over the top and twisting… began to spiral down the darkness. (1 mark) – direct from passage

COMPRE OE ANSWER KEY (SEMESTER 1)

Compre OE (1)

1. It was to take a picture of the street.

2. The word is ‘Half-heartedly’.

3. He/ She treated her courteously/ politely and respectfully.

4. Danny's friend, Chee Meng, had been kidnapped and the police wanted to find out more information from Danny to help them find Chee Meng.

5. Danny failed to mention seeing a little girl in a black samfoo wearing a heart-shaped jade pendant talking to Chee Meng just before he was kidnapped.

6. Any two of these reasons:
- The police could not find him.
- No one gave any information about him despite the reward offered by Mr. Lim.
- It was difficult to find him in such a crowded place (like Hong Kong).

7. *He recognised her black samfoo and heart-shaped pendant.

8. *She turned and ran away when she saw Danny.

9. It / ‘It’ refers to the film in Danny’s camera.

10. The sentence is “But no one had come forward.”

Compre OE (2)

1. *He did not like to have a dictionary as a birthday present.

*He had expected something more interesting than a dictionary as a birthday
present.
*He probably did not appreciate having a dictionary as a birthday present and therefore disliked his uncle for getting him such a boring present.

2. Tony had pasted the pictures on every wall in the house as the writer had forgotten to give Tony a book to paste them in.
The writer gave Tony a bottle of glue and funny pictures but no book to put them in
so he pasted them on the walls of ths house, thus messing up his home.

3. He decided to let Tony choose his own present.
He decided to let Tony choose a present for himself.

4. The two words are “highly critical”.

5. It would be very noisy and no one would get any sleep.

6. He sat down to rest his aching feet. / His feet were aching.

7. The word is “despair”.

8. There were many little boys in grey suits, just like Tony. / Tony was not the only little boy in a grey suit.

9. *He chose purple clothes, a false beard, a caveman’s axe and a space gun.

10. It / ‘It’ refers to a strange figure dressed in purple clothes who was actually Tony.


Compre OE (3)

1. He had always wanted to be a doctor and had studied medical books in his spare time.

2. He pretended to be ill.

3. They had to do work while he lay in his bunk (and ate special food).

4. *He wanted to check if the sailors were really sick. / deceiving him.
*He wanted to see for himself if Skinner was right about the sailors deceiving him.

5. *He saw the ‘sick’ sailors chatting and joking happily and wanted to teach them a lesson.

6. *It was not meant to treat any illness.
*It was not real medicine, but was made up of chilli sauce, salt water, mustard
and soap.

7. -The ‘medicine ‘tasted awful / very bad.
- He did not want to taste the awful ‘medicine’.

8. It was the thought of taking the awful ‘medicine’ which made them recover suddenly.

9. It refers to Skinner’s special ‘medicine’.

10. He gave them the worst jobs and food and kicked them when he saw them not working as hard as the rest of the crew.


Compre OE(4)

1. It is in the Atlantic Ocean.

2. It was hot and there were many poisonous insects.

3. The sentence is ‘Thousands of convicts died before their sentences were finished.’

4. He hoped to escape on a raft made from bags filled with coconuts.

5. It / ‘it’ refers to (testing)(the idea of) launching a weighted sack on one of the big waves.

6. *His raft might not be carried away by the waves.
*He might not be swept free of the island.

7. *His movement was stealthy/ careful/ quiet etc.

8. *They were happy that they managed to escape. / They were congratulating each other for having escaped. / They were celebrating their escape.

9. If the men tried to walk on the thin-crusted mud, they would/ could/ might get sucked down.

10. *It suggests that the waves are strong/ powerful/ forceful etc.


Compre OE(5)

1. Whoever controlled that stretch of water would also control the trade in the region.

2. They were the Mancs and the Scousers.

3. The Mancs ruled Trafford.

4. The sentence is ‘The encounter ended when later that day, the Scouser ships withdrew.’

5. They could help piece together some of the history of the country.

6. Treasure hunters had been plundering from its wreck for years.

7. It / ‘It’ refers to the lower hull of the Cantona.

8. They were solid oak (timber) and metal.

9. It lay buried in the sand and so was preserved.

10. There was a big hole in the side of the ship when it was shot and water had gone in, causing it to sink.


Compre OE(6)

1. The boar tried to attack the writer whenever he went to feed the pigs.

2. It / ‘it’ refers to the boar running down the fence near where the writer was walking.

3. He was worried that the boar would attack him if it got through the fence./ The boar tried to get through the fence to the writer and if it succeeded, the writer would have no chance of defending himself against its attack.

4. He was near the trees and shrubs and could run there if the boar got out.

5. He threw a rock at the boar and tried to spear it with some branches

6. The sentence is ‘I ran for a large tree just in time – another four metres he would have had me.’

7. He knew the boar would attack Uncle Frank.

8. It was shot.

9. - He did not want his aunt to know that he was responsible for the boar’s behaviour.
- He did not want his aunt to know that he was the one who had made the boar angry.
- He was afraid he would be punished.

10. He was forced to kill his own boar.
He could not understand why his boar suddenly turned savage and tried to attack them.


Compre OE(7) Note : The writer can be a boy or a girl.

1. He pushed it next to the window.

2. Ben’s bedclothes should be untidy and messy as Ben would have moved in his sleep if he was alive.

3. He looked neat, restful, quiet and happy./ He was tidy, with his fingers curled up in a relaxed manner and his hair was neatly brushed.

4. He had died of respiratory failure.

5. He believed it when he brushed against Ben’s face and felt that it was cold.

6. The sentence is ‘I knew then I couldn’t pretend any more that he would wake up in a minute, and put out his arms, asking to be lifted.’

7. It / ‘It’ refers to believing/ accepting the fact that that Ben was dead.

8. He was afraid he might disturb Ben.

9. He/ She wanted to assure Ben of his/ her love for him and he/ she believed Ben’s spirit was still near him/ her.

10. He/ She started to sob out the sorrow deep in his heart.