QE Qn Type Revision
Name: ____________________________________ ( ) Class: _______ Date: __________
Question 1
YTSS Prelims 2023
I remembered Lila and sought her with my gaze. She was standing in the middle of the room, body
leaning forward, head down, eyes narrowed, brow furrowed. I called to her but she did not respond. Her
ears did not hear, her throat did not inhale air and her mouth did not open. It was as if she had entered a
state of paralysis. ‘Lila,’ I called again to no avail. She seemed to have erased every feeling. I moved to
grab her and drag her away. It was the most urgent thing to do. To reach her was a challenge, and yet it
was just a step.
The writer claimed that Lila seemed to have ‘entered a state of paralysis’ (line 15). Explain how this claim is
supported with reference to three pieces of evidence from Paragraph 3.
Quote Explanation
‘I called to her but she did not respond’ suggests that Lila had no reaction / was oblivious to
the writer (who was trying to get her attention.)
OR suggests that Lila did not respond to / ignored the
writer
‘(Lila,) I called again to no avail’
‘Her ears did not hear, her throat did not inhale air suggests that she had seemed to have lost her
and her mouth did not open’ bodily functions / lost control of her body / seemed
to have shut her body down / lost her senses.
‘She seemed to have erased every feeling’ suggests that Lila seemed as if she was
emotionless / numb to emotions / incapable of
experiencing any emotions / sensations / unable to
feel anything.
Students should not simply do a word-for-word paraphrasing, but should capture the idea of how Lila
entered this state of paralysis or what this state of paralysis looks like.
Question 2
BWSS Prelims 2023
As he turned back to the house, his eye caught mine and he winked. He did not do it in the way that
adults usually did, at once arrogant and ingratiating. No, this was a conspiratorial wink. It was as if this
moment that we, two strangers, had shared, although outwardly without significance, had meaning. His
eyes were an extraordinary pale transparent shade of blue. He went back inside then, already talking
before he was through the door. "Damned thing," he said, "seems to be …" and was gone. I lingered for a
moment, scanning the upstairs windows. No face appeared there.
In Paragraph 6, the writer said the man’s wink was not “arrogant and ingratiating”. Explain how this claim is
supported with reference to two pieces of evidence from Paragraph 6.
Quote Explanation
‘this was a conspiratorial wink’ suggests that the man was in cahoots / colluding
with the writer.
‘It was as if this moment that we, two strangers, suggests that the man was trying to connect with
2
had shared, although outwardly without the writer.
significance, had meaning’
Question 3
ANDSS Prelims 2023
The truth was that Shackleton felt rather out of his element. He had proved himself on land. He had
demonstrated there beyond all doubt his ability to pit his matchless tenacity against the elements – and
win. But the sea is a different sort of enemy. Unlike the land, where courage and the simple will to endure
can often see a man through, the struggle against the sea is a direct and demanding confrontation with
the elements. It is a battle against a tireless enemy in which man never actually wins. It gave Shackleton
a feeling of uneasiness. He now faced an adversary so formidable that his own strength was nothing in
comparison, and he did not enjoy being in a position where boldness and determination count for almost
nothing. But more than anything he was dreadfully tired, and he wanted simply for the journey to be over,
and as quickly as possible.
In Paragraph 4, Shackleton claimed that ‘the sea is a different sort of enemy’ (line 20). Explain how this
claim is supported, with reference to three pieces of evidence from Paragraph 4.
Quote Explanation
‘(Unlike the land, where courage and the simple suggests that the challenges posed by the sea is
will to endure can often see a man through,) the more physical then psychological.
struggle against the sea is a direct and demanding
confrontation with the elements’
‘it is a battle against a tireless enemy in which man suggests that the sea is relentless and cannot be
never actually wins’ defeated / and the best outcome against the sea is
not victory but survival
‘an adversary so formidable that his own strength Suggests that sea is a force so intimidating /
was nothing in comparison’ powerful / dangerous that it is incapable of
being matched/ equalled/ rivalled
Question 4
BWSS Prelims 2023
I wonder why the house was built like that, sideways, with a windowless white wall along facing the road;
perhaps in former times, before the railway, the road ran in a different orientation altogether, passing
directly in front of the front door. Anything is possible. Miss Vavasour, the landlady, is vague on dates but
thinks a cottage was first put up here early in the last century and then was added on to haphazardly
over the years. That would account for the jumbled look of the place, with small rooms leading to bigger
ones, and windows facing blank walls, and low ceilings throughout. The pine floors sound a nautical
note, as does my spindle-backed swivel chair.
Miss Vavasour claimed that the ‘cottage was first put up here early in the last century and then was added
on to haphazardly’. Explain how this claim is supported with reference to two pieces of evidence from
Paragraph 2
Quote Explanation
3
‘jumbled look of the place’ suggests that the place looks disorganised / messy
due to a lack of planning / poor planning over the
years
‘the pine floors sound a nautical note’ suggests that the floors of the house have started
creaking due to its old age
(X) ‘the house was built like that, sideways, with a This suggests that the house was initially
windowless white wall along facing the road…’ positioned to accommodate the previous
road alignment but does not show what was added
on haphazardly.
Question 5
ZHSS Prelims 2023
There were endless rounds of sanding and skim-coating the walls. By the time the walls were finished
with their final coat of eggshell white, they had achieved a kind of sacred status. We were not allowed to
touch them lest we should leave smudges or stains. We moved through the house at a distance from
these pristine white walls. The walls were to be respected and feared, in the same way one pays
homage to a deity, and as with all sacred objects made for the purpose of humble prayers, if we were
careless and caused them damage we could bring down upon ourselves grave consequences, beginning
with our father’s wrath. Only when I was a little older, and first saw photos of buildings bombed during the
war, their ruined interior walls exposed to the exterior, did our father’s obsession with restoring the house
back to its former glory take on a more nuanced meaning.
The writer claimed that the walls ‘had achieved a kind of sacred status’ (line 38). Explain how this claim is
supported with three pieces of evidence from Paragraph 7.
Quote Explanation
‘not allowed to touch them lest we should leave suggests the perceived purity of the walls as
smudges or stains’ touching the walls was prohibited to avoid
blemishes being left on them.
‘moved through the house at a distance from these suggests a deliberate and cautious approach to the
pristine white walls’ walls, which in turn suggests a sense of
ritualistic care to prevent the walls from being
tainted.
‘The walls were to be respected and feared, in the suggests the walls were expected to be treated
same way one pays homage to a deity’ with utmost reverence/awe/caution, like an awe-
inspiring god.
‘if we were careless and caused them damage we suggests the perceived importance and sanctity
could bring down upon ourselves grave of the walls, so much so that should they be
consequences’ treated tardily, there might be serious and punitive
measures meted out to them.