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Section A: Reading

Spend 20 minutes on this section.

Read the text and then answer the questions.

The Red Fox

The largest of all vulpine foxes, the red fox is the most successful, and certainly the
most recognisable. A doglike animal, its adult mass can vary between three and
fourteen kilograms. The males are, on average, ten to fifteen percent heavier than the
females, although the considerable size differences between individuals in this
species make it difficult to use this as a guideline.

Body length typically varies between 82 and 110 centimetres, of which a prominent
bushy tail accounts for about a third. The tail is useful as a counterbalance while
running and jumping. It also provides insulation and warmth in cold weather, and is
used to communicate with other foxes. Other characteristic features of the red fox are
its elongated muzzle, triangular ears, and luxurious coat of fur.

Foxes, like many other animals, employ digitigrade motion. That is, they walk and run
on their toes, with their heels positioned off the ground, high up on the leg. This
method of locomotion allows silent, swift, and agile movement, and can also be seen
in cats, dogs, and horses.

Several of the fox’s bones are narrower than those of other dogs, and the limb bones
are built much more lightly. The stomach of the fox is proportionately half as large as
those of other canines. This reduction of weight allows it to run extremely quickly
(trotting speed is between six and thirteen kilometres per hour, and speeds up to 72
kilometres per hour have been cited), and with great agility.

The fox pays a penalty for its smaller stomach in that it must eat more frequently.
When eating, it will use its 42 teeth. These include prominent canines which hold prey,
incisors for cutting and shearing meat, and molars for grinding up bones and
vegetable matter.

1 What type of fox is the red fox?

[1]

2 Why is it difficult to use size to tell a male fox from a female fox?

[1]

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3 Tick (
) two boxes to show why the fox can move so quickly.

Elongated muzzle

Low weight

Moves on its toes

Prominent bushy tail

Shape of ears [2]

4 Rewrite the final paragraph to include the main points, using about 30
words.

[2]

5 Tick (
) the best description of the text The Red Fox.

It contains mostly facts.

It contains mostly opinions.

It contains about half facts and half opinions. [1]

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6 Compare these texts.

Text 1 Text 2

The red fox is certainly a beautiful You’ll just love the red fox. For
creature to look at, with its large, starters, it’s got this great bushy tail
bushy tail and thick, shiny fur. It can and its fur is really thick and shiny. It
also move extremely quickly. In also can move really fast! Another
addition, it has 42 teeth, which is plus point is that it has the most
more than a human being has. incredible number of teeth – 42, 10
more than a human being. Can you
believe that?

The information in both texts is the same but the language used is different.
Tick (
) the text you prefer to read.

Text 1

Text 2

Explain why you chose that text.

[1]

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Section B: Writing

Spend 30 minutes on this section.

13 Read this introduction to a story.

Tuesday
Today started as usual – Dad woke me up early for school and I
grumbled my way downstairs for breakfast. Dad walked me to the bus
stop and put me on the school bus. I took my usual seat in the middle
of the bus but we had to wait for ages. Then, just as we were about to
leave, a boy and girl I’d never seen before came running down the
street and jumped on the bus. They just sat at the back of the bus,
whispering furiously to each other, without looking at anybody.

Now continue the story yourself to explain what happened next.

Ideas to help you:

Characters There are at least three characters: the narrator, the boy
and the girl. Who are they? Are they related?
Setting Do they stay on the bus?
Do they have to get off the bus?
Do they get to school?
Plot Why are these new kids on the bus?
What did they have to hide? Why were they whispering
and avoiding everyone?
Remember to include as much detail as you can in your story. It can be of
any genre that you like.

PLANNING

Spend up to five minutes making notes in the box below to plan your story.

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Write your story here.

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Content [5] Punctuation [4]

Purpose and audience [4] Vocabulary [3]
Text structure [5] Spelling [4]
Sentence structure [5]

Copyright Acknowledgements:

Question 1 © Extract from Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney, published by Penguin Books © Jeff Kinney, 2007.

Permission to reproduce items where third-party owned material protected by copyright is included has been sought and cleared where possible. Every
reasonable effort has been made by the publisher (UCLES) to trace copyright holders, but if any items requiring clearance have unwittingly been included, the
publisher will be pleased to make amends at the earliest possible opportunity.

Cambridge International Examinations is part of the Cambridge Assessment Group. Cambridge Assessment is the brand name of University of Cambridge Local
Examinations Syndicate (UCLES), which is itself a department of the University of Cambridge.

© UCLES 2015 0844/02/O/N/15

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Section C: Grammar, Punctuation and Vocabulary

Spend 15 minutes on this section.

12 Join the underlined word in each of these sentences to match the correct
word class.

The red fox can be found in most parts

preposition
of Britain.

The method of locomotion used by the

adjective
red fox enables it to run swiftly.

The red fox has a luxurious coat of fur. pronoun

It has a small stomach. adverb [2]

13 (a) Underline the main clause in this sentence.

When eating, it will use its 42 teeth. [1]

(b) Rewrite this sentence.

Cotgrave Country Park has many paths and trails.

Include this clause.

which is in Nottinghamshire

Remember to add punctuation. Do not add or change any words.

[2]

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14 (a) Change this sentence from the past to the present.

The park was open all day and many people visited.

[1]

(b) Complete the sentences by writing the passive forms of the verbs given
in brackets. The first one has been done for you.

Country parks (find) are found in many parts of the UK.

First, the visitors (drive) to the park by coach.

They (drop) at the main coach park.

Each visitor (escort) to the entrance of the park

by a guide. [2]

15 Correct two mistakes in this sentence. Do not change the meaning.

The woman walk very slow along the edge of

t h e p a r k. [1]

16 Choose the type from simple, compound or complex to describe these

sentences.

Sentence Type of sentence

The red fox is a successful animal.

As red foxes are very successful,

their numbers are likely to increase. [1]

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17 Add two apostrophes to this sentence.

The parks visitors shouldnt be expected to pay

f o r t i c k e t s. [1]

18 Add the missing punctuation to these sentences.

“Did you enjoy your visit to the nature reserve asked my

friend

“Yes I replied there were lots of things to do.” [2]

19 Reread this extract from the text The Red Fox.

Body length typically varies between 82 and 110 centimetres, of which

a prominent bushy tail accounts for about a third.

Write other words or phrases that mean the same as the underlined words.
Your new words must keep the meaning and make sense in the sentence.

prominent

accounts for [2]

Copyright Acknowledgements:

Section A Reading © http://mynarskiforest.purrsia.com/ev3rdesc.htm.

© http://www.nottinghamshire.gov.uk/home/leisure/countryparks/cotgravecp.htm.

Permission to reproduce items where third-party owned material protected by copyright is included has been sought and cleared where possible. Every
reasonable effort has been made by the publisher (UCLES) to trace copyright holders, but if any items requiring clearance have unwittingly been included, the
publisher will be pleased to make amends at the earliest possible opportunity.

University of Cambridge International Examinations is part of the Cambridge Assessment Group. Cambridge Assessment is the brand name of University of
Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate (UCLES), which is itself a department of the University of Cambridge.

© UCLES 2014 0844/01/SP/14