Cambridge Lower Secondary Checkpoint



ENGLISH 1111/01
Paper 1 Non-fiction April 2021
1 hour 10 minutes

You must answer on the question paper.

You will need: Insert (enclosed)

INSTRUCTIONS
• Answer all questions.
• Use a black or dark blue pen.
• Write your name, centre number and candidate number in the boxes at the top of the page.
• Write your answer to each question in the space provided.
• Do not use an erasable pen or correction fluid.
• Do not write on any bar codes.

INFORMATION
• The total mark for this paper is 50.
• The number of marks for each question or part question is shown in brackets [ ].
• The insert contains the reading passages.

This document has 8 pages.

IB21 05_1111_01/3RP
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Section A: Reading

Spend 30 minutes on this section.

Read Text A, in the insert, and answer Questions 1–6.

1 (a) Look at lines 1–3.

Why does the writer describe his last hours at Lechuguilla as black?

As it was pitch dark inside the cave [1]

(b) What effect does the writer create by using a single-word sentence in the first paragraph?

To add more emphasis on the word 'alone' and hook the readers. [1]

2 Give a simile from lines 4–11.

'Body loosened a few of the crystals from the ceiling so it looked as if it were snowing in Lechuguilla cave' [1]

3 (a) Look at lines 12–16.

What is the phrase gentle caress an example of? Tick () one box.

an oxymoron

alliteration

a euphemism

personification Tick

[1]

(b) What does the phrase gentle caress tell the reader about the writer’s attitude to being in
the cave?

He feels embraced and feels welcomed by the cave, loves being in the cave. [1]

(c) The writer is exhausted at the end of each day (line 16).
Give two pieces of evidence from the text that tell the reader why the writer was so tired.
•
'It was so big'

• 'So hot' [2]

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4 (a) Look at lines 17–22.

What literary techniques does the writer use to show his sense of wonder? Tick () two
boxes.

comparison

strong adverbs tick

repetition

sentence length tick

onomatopoeia

[2]

(b) Why does the writer use a colon ( : )?

To explain further and add up on the sentence. [1]

(c) The reader learns many things about the cave in lines 17–22.
What are the first and last things the reader learns about the cave?
• ?

•
? [2]

5 Look at lines 23–27.

What is staggering about the idea? Give two things.
• It was as big as Grand Canyon, but newly discovered

•
The entire Earth has been mapped, but this underground cave was newly discovered [2]

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6 What are the main purposes of Text A? Tick () two boxes.

to persuade more caving enthusiasts to explore the cave

to describe the writer’s personal experience of the cave tick

to give advice to people who want to visit the cave

to inform the reader about the history of the cave

to explain what is extraordinary about the cave

[2]

Read Text B, in the insert, and answer Questions 7–9.

7 Why is it not possible to build on most of the land in Hong Kong?

As most of it is hilly [1]

8 Text B is a newspaper article.

Give three features of a newspaper article used in Text B.
•
Title

• Subtitle

•
Statistics [3]

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9 (a) You need to decide whether it is a good idea to build a city with some facilities
underground.

Complete the list below, giving the advantages and disadvantages of underground
development, using information from Text B.

Advantages
•
frees up space on the surface
• Energy consumption can be reduced

•
Cooler temperature, lesser need for air conditioning

•
More surface lands for other uses, such as housing

•
Never need to be torn down.

Disadvantages
•
not suitable for residential development
• Only a few hectares released at a time

• Costlier to build underground

•
Time consuming

•
Technically difficult to build

[3]

(b) Summarise the advantages of building a city with some facilities underground. Use up to
40 words.

A city with underground facilities reduce energy

consumption, gives more surface land for other uses like
housing and generally has a cooler temperature, reducing
need for air conditioning. Moreover, these buildings never
need to be torn down.

[2]

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Section B: Writing

Spend 30 minutes on this section.

10 Imagine you have visited a school with some of its facilities underground. Write a recount of your
visit.

You could include some of the following:

• information about which of the school’s facilities are underground

• what teachers and students at the school say about them
• the benefits and challenges of locating a school under the ground.

Space for your plan:

Write your recount on the next page. [25 marks]

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Last week, I went to a school with part of its facilities below ground level. It was a really
interesting experience! The school had a library, classrooms, and even a gym below the
ground. I did not think that I would see so many things downstairs, but everything was
organized and bright.

The instructors informed me that the underground classrooms are very quiet, making it
easier for students to focus. They added that the underground library is a quiet place to
read and study since it's far from all the commotion on the ground. The gym was also
underground, and it was spacious with lots of equipment. Some of the students added that
it's like being in a secret base.

But it is not perfect. The underground classrooms are a bit cramped since they do not have
windows. The students complained that they miss fresh air and sunlight. The floors are
really cold as well, but the school is equipped with geysers to maintain warmth.

One of the advantages of having part of the school beneath the ground is that it gives the
space on top of the ground to create play areas and sporting fields. This makes the school
seem larger and more spacious. Most of the students and teachers actually enjoy the fact
that part of the school is underground, and it makes the school stand out as a great place
to go to school!

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