Question

1 Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow:
After lunch, without waiting to get permission from their parents, the two boys set off to
explore the part of the beach which lay beyond the headland. They persuaded their young sister
to stay behind, saying the long walk would be too tiring for her. Once they had passed beyond
the headland, the beach stretched away endlessly in front of them. It was like discerning a new
world. And what exciting things there were to do! There were damp, dark caves to explore, in
each of which they half expected to come across animals sleeping there; there were
innumerable pools among the rocks, full of small fish and other sea-creatures; and, scattered
along the beach, there were all those strange, yet commonplace objects which are washed up
and left by the tide.
The afternoon passed quickly and the sun was already beginning to go down when the two boys
reluctantly decided to turn back and make their way homewards. Long before they reached
headland, however, they could see that the tide had come in so far that they were now cut off
from the other part of the beach. They looked at each other in dismay. It was useless to go on,
since clearly there was no way of getting beyond the headland. If, on the other hand they went
back the way they had just come, the tide would come in long before they reached the end of
the beach. Their only chance of escape was to find a way up the cliff, which in some places was
not very steep. At least they might be able to climb high enough to be out of reach of the waves,
which were coming closer all the time.
In less than ten minutes they found a narrow path which seemed to lead all the way to the cliff
top. But their troubles were not yet over. Halfway up, the path was blocked by a large rock,
which they could not climb over. The two boys at once began shouting at the top of their
voices, hoping that someone walking along the cliff top might hear them. They were both
surprised, however, when their father’s face appeared over the top of the rock. He told them not
to move until he came back. In a short while he reappeared with two policemen, one of whom
climbed down a rope which was lowered over the rock. The two boys were then pulled up to
safety. At the top of the cliff they found their anxious mother and, with her, their young sister.
She had told her parents where they had gone and thus saved them from spending a wet night
on the cliff.
1a Say whether the following statements are true or false: 2
a The boys knew the part of the beach which lay beyond the headland quite well.
b The boy’s father climbed down to rescue them.
1b Answer the following questions briefly, using your own words as far as possible.
a How did the two boys spend their time on the beach? 2
b Why did the two boys look at each other in dismay? 2
c How did their parents know where to look for the two boys. 2
1c Complete the following sentences. Your answers must be related to the ideas contained in the
passage. 2
a While the two boys were exploring the beach beyond the headland, the tide…
b “If we go back the way we’ve just come,” the two boys thought, “the tide…”
4
1d

Answer 1

1a
a false as it is written that went to explore it and it was like discerning a new world.
false one of the policemen climbed down to rescue them.

1b
a boys explored damp,dark caves in each of which they half expected to come across animals sleeping there, they enjoyed in innumerable pools among rocks which were full of small fish and other search creatures.

b the boys looked at each other in dismay when they got to know that they were now cut off from other part of beach and headland because of tide that had come in so far.

c the boys' sister had told their parents that they had gone to beach.
1c
a the tide had come in so far that now they were cut off from other part of beach.
b the tide would come long before they had reached at the end of the beach,