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DELHI PUBLIC SCHOOL
Nacharam
Cambridge International Education
AY 2025 - 2026
Mid Term Revision Worksheet-1
FIRST LANGUAGE ENGLISH Subject Code: 0500
Paper: 1 Month: August
Paper Type: Reading Comprehension Duration: 1 hour
Candidate Name: Grade: IX Section: A/B/C
Centre Number: Candidate Number:
READ THESE INSTRUCTIONS FIRST
Candidates answer on the question paper
Write your Centre number, candidate number and name in the boxes above.
Write in dark blue or black pen.
Do not use staples, paper clips, and glue or correction fluid.
DO NOT WRITE IN ANY BARCODES.
Answer all questions in the spaces provided.
Any rough working should be done in this booklet.
The number of marks is given in brackets [ ] at the end of each question or part question
This document consists of 7 pages [Turn Over]
2
Read Passage A carefully and then answer Questions 1 and 2 on the Question Paper.
Passage A: A Sea Crossing
The following passage is set in the 18th Century. It tells of a sea journey made by a young
man named Bresciano on the sailing ship, ‘The Three Brothers’. He is travelling from Gibraltar
to Tangier in Morocco with a new friend, Lempriere.
The Three Brothers was soon under way, leaving the calm waters of the Bay and
entering the Straits. They made good progress as they sailed west, close to the
Spanish coast. To their right were the narrow beaches of the Spanish coastline, its
shrubs and grassland burnt brown after a long summer. They were close enough to
shore to make out some herds of goats grazing on the
steep slopes, and to see that they were themselves the subject of scrutiny by two ragged
young 5
goatherds. Bresciano concentrated on the choppy sea in which appeared the sleek
shapes of dolphins. They kept pace with the boat, leaping out into the air to dive
deep. They turned and twisted and were an exhilarating escort that eventually
tired of its sport and turned aside in search of shoals of mackerel. Bresciano’s
thoughts turned to what lay ahead.
If only I knew a little more Arabic, he thought, I could have gone further into Morocco.
That’s the 10
sort of adventure I need – to get away from the drudgery of the office! Then he
reminded himself of his serious business in Tangier. His sister Lucia had to be
protected from this rogue who was pursuing her and she and Aunt Maria had to be
returned safely to Gibraltar. Then there was his father: he was too ill to keep the
business going in Gibraltar without his son’s help.
He sighed. When would he have another opportunity like this one? To travel into the
heart of 15
Morocco, that wild and enigmatical land! Oh, well, he would have to make do with
Tangier.
As the boat veered south, across the narrow straits towards Tangier, the weather
changed and the sea became choppier. Bresciano was not much troubled by this;
he buttoned his jacket, pulled up his collar and prepared to endure. The many
fishing expeditions he had shared with
his father as a boy had accustomed him to the rough waters of the Straits, but the motion
of the 20
boat was affecting Lempriere.
‘How long will we have to endure this?’ Lempriere muttered. ‘I have never been
able to enjoy ship travel. To think that I thought of becoming a sailor when I was a
boy!’
Trying to reassure him, Bresciano engaged him in conversation. They talked about
Lempriere’s childhood on the island of Jersey, and Bresciano’s experiences in the Great
Siege of Gibraltar.
25
This reminded Bresciano of Abraham: ‘I have a friend who is in Tangier at the
moment. I shall visit him when I arrive,’ he said.
3
The sea remained rough and a slight drizzle set in. Eventually their conversation
petered out as Lempriere concentrated on trying to subdue his heaving stomach.
The captain cheerfully
informed them that his little vessel was unsinkable; they would arrive within a couple of
hours. 30
They rounded a headland and Tangier came into sight. The few passengers
crowded the port side of the boat to get their first glimpse of the town ahead of
them. It lay behind crumbling defensive fortifications – a small walled town set on a
slight hill. They glimpsed a few houses behind the walls, buildings with pitched
roofs. Above the town rose the ruin of an old castle, and
before it was a shallow bay. Bresciano was a little disappointed: it looked to be a place
housing 35
something like two thousand people. It seemed to him to be a very small town.
Read Passage B carefully, and then answer Question 2 on the Question Paper.
Passage B: The Gibraltar Straits Bridge
The following passage describes an ambitious plan to link Europe and Africa by a bridge between
Spain and Morocco.
North American architect, Eugene Tsui, has designed the longest bridge in the world
spanning the Straits of Gibraltar and connecting the continents of Europe and Africa.
This revolutionary design does not resemble any existing bridge; it features an original
floating and submerging concept and also will create a five kilometre wide floating
island in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. From this newly created island it
will be possible to view both the European and African continents simultaneously for
the first time in human history. If built, the bridge will be the greatest and most
ecological architectural project in the world. Spanning about 14.5 kilometres, the
floating bridge will contain 150 windmills and 80 underwater tidal turbines, generating
12 billion kilowatt hours of electricity. The bridge will generate enough electricity to
power the southern Spanish province of Cadiz and the entire nation of Morocco, making
it the largest wind and water power farm in the world. The design will make use of the
natural current flow of the Straits and its constant winds. It will not disturb the existing
ecology and sea life of the site.
The bridge is designed to float gracefully on and under the water like a giant, elegant
serpent, anchored to the cities of Tarifa on the southern coast of Spain and to Point
Cires on the northern tip of Morocco. The first stretch of the bridge will extend out from
the coast line and gradually slope under the Mediterranean at a maximum depth of
200 metres. It will slope upwards to the central floating island before continuing down
underwater again and coming out on to the neighbouring continent. The design will
allow very large ships to pass unimpeded within a six kilometre width where the bridge
is submerged, leaving sea currents undisturbed.
In total there will be 24 lanes for all motor vehicle traffic, four standard train tracks and
two high speed ones. In addition, five elevated, wide pedestrian lanes will
accommodate people who wish to walk, cycle, ride camels and horses. Lush gardens,
trees, flowers, waterfalls, rest areas and drinking fountains will surround all pedestrian
areas.
Read carefully Passage A, A Sea Crossing, in the Reading Booklet Insert and then
answer
Questions 1 and 2 on this Question Paper.
Answer all questions using your own words as far as possible.
Question 1
(a) Which feature of the landscape tells you that the summer in Gibraltar had been a
hot one (paragraph 1, ‘The Three Brothers was soon…’)?
the dry and brown grass on the hills showed that it had been a hot summer
[1]
(b) State two things, noticed by Bresciano, that tell you that the ship was still close to
the shore (paragraph 1 lines 4–6).
• He could see white houses and goats grazing
He could also hear voices from the land
(c) Using your own words, explain why the dolphins stop following the boat (lines 8–9).
the dolphins stopped following the boat because it moved into deeper water
and they
were no longer interested in playing
[2]
(d) From paragraph 2 (lines 10–14) explain in your own words:
(i) one thing that Bresciano wanted to do
he wants to explore Morocco and see its culture and landscape [1]
(ii) two things about which he was concerned.
• He was unsure of what kind of welcome he would receive.
• He was also worried about the difficulties of travelling in an unknown
[2]
(e) Why is Bresciano not concerned about the change in sea conditions (paragraph 4, ‘As
the boat…’)?
.. He was used to rough sea conditions and confident in the boat's ability to
handle it [1]
State two things that you learn about Lempriere when he was younger (paragraphs 5
and 6, ‘‘How long will… he said.’)
• He had travelled widely
• He had served in the navy.
[2]
(f) (i) Re-read Passage A. Explain using your own words, what the writer means by
the words in italics in three of the following phrases:
1. ‘an exhilarating escort that eventually tired of its sport’ (line 8)
2. ‘To travel into the heart of Morocco, that wild and enigmatical land!’ (lines 15–
16)
3. ‘he buttoned his jacket, pulled up his collar and prepared to endure.’ (lines 18–
19)
4. ‘Eventually their conversation petered out as Lempriere concentrated on
trying to subdue his heaving stomach’ (lines 28–29)
Phrase selected: 1, 2, 3 or 4 ......1..........
Meaning of the words in italics : An exciting group (the dolphins) that eventually lost
interest and left [1]
Phrase selected: 1, 2, 3 or 4 .......2.........
Meaning of the words in italics..................................................................................: A
journey into an unfamiliar and mysterious place [1]
Phrase selected: 1, 2, 3 or 4 .......4.........
Meaning of the words in italic: Trying to control his nausea and avoid being sick [1]
(ii) Explain how the words and language in each of the phrases you have chosen help
to convey Bresciano’s thoughts and feelings while on his sea journey.
Phrase selected: 1, 2, 3 or 4 .1...........
Explanation: This shows Bresciano's excitement at being accompanied by
dolphins, making the journey seem magical and joyful at the start [2]
Phrase selected: 1, 2, 3 or 4 .......2.........
Explanation: The language expresses Bresciano’s sense of adventure and
awe at the mysterious nature of Morocco [2]
Phrase selected: 1, 2, 3 or 4 .....4...........
Explanation: This highlights the discomfort and seasickness affecting
Lempriere, contrasting with the earlier excitement. [2]
[Total: 20]
Read carefully Passage B, The Gibraltar Straits Bridge, in the Reading Booklet Insert and answer
Question 2 (a)
Question 2
Answer the questions in the order set.
(a) Notes
Up to 10 marks are available for the content of your answer.
Information about the architect’s plans for the bridge over the Gibraltar Straits and
the main features of its design:
1 .Designed by Eugene Tsui
2 Longest bridge in the world
3 Spans the Straits of Gibraltar
4 Connects Europe and Africa
5 Uses floating and submerging technology