READING

COMPRENSION
INTERMEDIATE
1

The Spider Web

Not all spiders spin webs, but they can all make silk. Spiders spin
their silk through organs called spinnerets. The silk starts as a
sticky liquid which hardens to form a very light but very strong
thread. If you make a steel thread as fine as a thread of a spider
silk, the silk
would be just as strong as the steel. Each kind of web-
building spider builds its own kind of web. The moment a
spider hatches from its egg, it knows how to spin a
certain pattern by instinct.

How a spider spins a web

It takes a spider about an hour to spin an orb web.
The fine silk thread looks delicate but it can hold
1,000 times the spider’s own weight!

After finishing its web, the spider usually waits out of sight with one
leg on a ‘signal thread’. When an insect lands in the web,
the thread shakes. Instantly the spider pounces.
Parts of the orb are made of a special sticky silk, so insects
can’t escape before the spider arrives.
Firstly, the spider spins a thread between two Secondly, it drops a new thread to make a
supports – helped, perhaps, by a breeze that Y-shape, and spins more threads from the centre to
carries the thread. Then it spins another and the edge.
dangles down from it.

Then, the spider spins round and round in a spiral, Finally, it spirals back into the centre. The web is then
working slowly out from the middle. ready for the spider to catch its prey.
 21.
Choose the correct option to complete each sentence below.
(a) On pages 1 and 2 you can find out how a garden spider spins a web. It takes the spider about

to spin a web.
1 mark

(b) Spiders know how to spin their webs and catch flies

1 mark

(c) When it has finished its web, the spider

1 mark

(d) Once an insect is caught, it cannot get away because

1 mark

2. The information tells us how a spider spins a web.

Below is a summary of the four stages.

Number each stage (1-4) to show the correct order. spins third

thread downwards.

returns spinning from outside to middle spins thread

to join two supports

spins from inside to edge 1 mark

3. Write down two things from the text which show that spiders’ silk is very strong.

1.

2.

2 marks

4. ...helped, perhaps, by a breeze that carries the thread. (page 2)

Give the meaning of the word breeze in this sentence.

1 mark

5. These questions are about the way in which the information is presented.

(a) The Spider Web

Why have these words been made to stand out?

1 mark

(b) How a spider spins a web

Why are these words smaller, but still in bold print?

1 mark
(c) (i) What is a glossary?

1 mark

(ii) Why are some words in the glossary printed in italics, like this?

1 mark
1

The Truth About Little Miss Muffet

Little Miss Muffet is a well known nursery rhyme.

You may well have heard it before. There are a
number of different versions of the rhyme but this
one is the most popular.

Little Miss Muffet Sat on a

tuffet*,
Eating her curds and whey**,
There came a big spider, Who sat
down beside her,
And frightened Miss Muffet Away.

Who was Miss Muffet?

*What is a tuffet?
Miss Muffet may have been sitting on a small grassy mound – a tuft of soft grass. Another
possible meaning of a tuffet is a 'three-legged stool'. In some versions of the rhyme, Miss Muffet
is sitting on a cushion or a buffet – a word for stool from the north of England.
**What are curds and whey?
In the process of making cheese, milk is mixed with a substance called rennet. The result of this is
that the milk turns into curds, which are solid like lumps in cottage cheese, and whey which is a
watery liquid.

Miss Muffet was a real person! Her name was Patience Muffet and she was the daughter of a Dr.
Thomas Muffet who lived between 1553 and 1604. Although almost every child in Britain has
heard of Little Miss Muffet, the history books tell us much more about her father than they do
about Patience herself. As well as being a medical doctor, Dr. Muffet was fascinated by the world
of insects and spiders, a subject that people had not studied much up to that time. He wrote two
books:

The Silkwormes and their Flies;

The Theater of Insects and Lesser Living Creatures.

He admired silk worms so much that he was inspired to write the first of these two books in
verse.
 Why did Miss Muffet run away?
In those days it was thought that spiders could help
cure illness. Some people used to wear a spider in a
nutshell when that had a high temperature and others
believed that swallowing a spider wrapped in a ball of
butter could help them get better. It is thought that Dr.
Muffet was interested in finding out whether spiders
could be used to cure the common cold. It is said that
he used to treat his daughter with spiders when she
was ill.

21. Complete the table about Dr. Muffet.

Name
Dr. Thomas Muffet
Year of birth

Occupation/job

Books published
1. The Silkwormes and their Flies

2. The Theater of Insects and

Lesser Living Creatures
Year of death

Name of child

2 marks
2. When Dr. Muffet wrote his book in 1599, it was described in the following way:

The Silkwormes and their Flies. Lively described in verse by T. M. (Moufet) countrie farmar,
apprentice in physicke...

What is it about the language used that tells you this description was written a long time ago?

1 mark

3. How do the cartoon jokes make the reader think differently about the information?

2 marks

4. Some of the sentences begin with phrases such as the following:

It is probably truer to say

... It is thought ...

(a) What do such phrases tell you (b) Find one more phrase that expressed
about the information in these the same idea as the phrases in
sentences bold above.

2 marks
5. Look at the section called Why did Miss Muffet run away?

Using the information in that paragraph, imagine what Dr. Muffet is saying to Patience, as he
isputting the spoon to her mouth.

2 marks
6. The Truth About Little Miss Muffet is a collection of short texts written for different purposes.

Which three of the following can be found? Texts

written to:

inform

give instructions

complain

amuse

give an explanation

persuade

1 mark
Tom is reading an article written by Tammy about an earthquake she experienced.
Read the article. Choose the best answer by blackening the circle for Questions 1-6
and complete Questions 7 and 8.

My Experience of An Earthquake
While I was daydreaming in the English lesson, I was shocked by a strange feeling. It felt like someone was
shaking my desk. ‘Everyone! Drop down, hide under the tables and hold tight!’ Miss Chan, my class teacher,
suddenly shouted nervously. It was not a dream! I crawled under my desk quickly and held onto its legs.
After about sixty seconds, the shaking finally stopped. Miss Chan made sure no one was hurt. Then, she gave
us some instructions urgently to let us know what to do next. Within a few minutes, my classmates and I grabbed our
school bags and started to evacuate the school campus. All of us covered our heads with school bags to protect
ourselves from possible falling objects. Although my classroom was on the fourth floor, I knew that taking the lift
was out of the question.
By the time we reached the ground floor, we wanted to stop and rest. However, Miss Chan told us to keep
walking until we entered the large open football field of the school. All our schoolmates had gathered there. The
field was far away from any buildings. Since the windows and roofs might be damaged by the earthquake and could
fall down, it was the only way to avoid being hit by these falling objects.
I wish my parents were there with me! I looked around anxiously to see if I could sneak away quietly. ‘No
one should leave now. We must stay here!’ Miss Chan said firmly. My heart sank. Luckily, Miss Chan noticed my
fear. She patted my head to comfort me. It was only until 11 p.m. that we were allowed to leave with our parents.

1. Read Paragraph 1. What was Tammy doing in the English lesson before the
○ A. Daydreaming
○ B. Shaking her desk
○ C. Hiding under tables
○ D. Listening to the teacher

2. Read paragraph 2. What instruction do you think Miss Chan gave?

○ A. Hide under the tables.
○ B. Tidy up your desks.
○ C. Put your school bags over your heads.
○ D. Unpack your school bags.
3. Read Paragraph 2. What does ‘out of the question’ mean?
○ A. Clever
○ B. Easy
○ C. Impossible
○ D. Different
4. Read paragraph 4. What did Tammy want to do in the football field?
○ A. Sneaked away to rescue her friends
○ B. Left the school to find her parents
○ C. Stayed in the field with her schoolmates
○ D. Walked around to comfort her schoolmates
5. Which of the following is TRUE?
○ A. The earthquake’s shaking lasted for about two minutes.
○ B. Tammy did not bring anything when she left the classroom.
○ C. The football field was not close to the buildings at Tammy’s school.
○ D. Tammy’s head was hit by a broken window.
6. Read Paragraph 4. Who does ‘We’ refer to?
○ A. Tammy and Miss Chan
○ B. Tammy and her classmates
○ C. Tammy, her parents and Miss Chan
○ D. All students and teachers of Tammy’s school
7. Read the article again. Arrange the following sentences in the correct
order. Write A, B, C or D in the boxes.
A. Tammy escaped to the ground floor.
B. Tammy wrote about her experience.
C. Miss Chan comforted Tammy.
D. Tammy left the football field with her parents.

8. Read the article again and finish Tammy’s note with only ONE word from the
article for each blank. Make sure your answers are grammatically correct.
When the earthquake occurred, I was daydreaming in the classroom. Suddenly, Miss Chan told us to
(1) under the table as the ground was shaking vigorously.
After some time, we had to leave the classroom. We used our school bags to
(2) our heads since we had to protect ourselves from the falling
(3) damaged by the earthquake.
Erica and her friends want to watch a show. They are reading some posters outside the
box office. Read the posters carefully and choose the best answers by blackening the
circles for Questions 1-6 and complete Question 7.

Shows in October
The Best of Mozart) Eason Chow in Concert
by
Hong Kong Orchestra Date: 26/10 – 31/10 (Friday to Wednesday)
Time: 8:15 pm – 10:30 pm
Date: 18/10 – 21/10 (Thursday to Sunday) Venue: Hong Kong
Time: 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm Coliseum Fee: $480 / $250 /
Venue: Hong Kong Cultural $150
Centre Fee: $200 / $100 Tickets on sale from 10/9
Tickets available from 18/9 *Bookings: www.boxoffice.com
*Half-priced tickets are available for full- *Enquiries: 2704 0128
time students and senior citizens aged 65 or
above
Romeo and Juliet King of the World
by by
Hong Kong Drama Society Hong Kong Drama Society

Date: 15/10 – 17/10 Date: 8/10 – 13/10

(Monday to Wednesday) (Monday to Saturday)
Time: 7:30 pm – 10:30 pm Time: 7:30 pm – 10:00 pm
Venue: Sai Wan Ho Civic Venue: Chai Wan Civic Centre (weekdays)
Centre Fee: $250 / $200 or Sha Tin Town Hall (weekend)
Tickets available from 13/9 Fee: $160 / $80

Language: French with English subtitles Tickets available from 8/9

Language: Cantonese
*A 10% discount for group booking of 10-15
tickets
 1. Erica’s friend, Mandy, comes from France and does not know Cantonese.
 A. The Best of Mozart
 B. Eason Chow in Concert
 C. Romeo and Juliet
 D. King of the World

2. Erica’s mum will NOT be free before 23rd October. Which show can she choose?
 A. The Best of Mozart
 B. Eason Chow in Concert
 C. Romeo and Juliet
 D. King of the World

3. Erica and her friend, Coco, are full-time students. They want to watch ‘The
 A. $50  B. $100  C. $200  D. $400

4. Which show has the longest ticket sale period?

 A. The Best of Mozart
 B. Eason Chow in Concert
 C. Romeo and Juliet
 D. King of the World

5. Erica’s friend, Dora, wants to watch a Cantonese drama but she is busy at
the weekends. Where will she probably go for the show?
 A. Sai Wan Ho Civic Centre  B. Wan Chai Civic Centre
 C. Chai Wan Civic Centre  D. Sha Tin Town Hall

6. Which of the following is NOT true?

 A. ‘The Best of Mozart’ is performed by Hong Kong Orchestra.
 B. Erica can call at 2704 0128 if she has problems with ‘Eason Chow in
Concert’.
 C. People cannot watch ‘Romeo and Juliet’ if they do not speak French.
 D. There are two venues for ‘King of the World’.

7. Match the two shows with the venues. Write A, B, C or D in the box.

A. Hong Kong Cultural Centre

B. Sai Wan Ho Civic Centre
C. Hong Kong Coliseum
D. Sha Tin Town Hall
Mark
schemes – SPIDER WEB

21. Award 1 mark for each correct choice. (a)

(b)

(c)

(d)(d)

up to 4 marks

2. Award 1 mark for all stages correctly numbered.

spins third thread downwards.

returns spinning from outside to middle

spins thread to join two supports

spins from inside to edge

1 mark

3. Award 1 mark each for answers along the following lines up to a maximum of 2:

• can hold000 times the spider’s own weight (Accept 10,000 or 100);as strong as steel thread.

Do not accept:
 • the insects cannot escape from the web;

• the liquid silk hardens;

• a light but strong thread (given).

up to 2 marks

4. Award 1 mark for answers that refer to (a light)wind.

1 mark

5. (a) Award 1 mark for appropriate explanations about the prominence of these words, eg:

• it is the main heading / title of the whole page / it is the title;

• tells you what the whole page is about;

• so your eye is drawn to it first of all.

Do not accept:

• so you can see it / to catch your eye (implicit in question);

• it’s important;

• it’s the title of the paragraph;

• it is the main information.

(b) Award 1 mark for explanations that refer to subheadings or their features, eg:

• it is a subheading / side-heading;

• tells you what one section is about;

• they are not as important as the main heading;

• because it’s still about webs but it’s a different part.

(c) (i) Award 1 mark for definitions such as:

• it tells you what words mean;

• it’s like a little dictionary;

• a key to the meaning of words.

Do not accept:

• a key.

(ii) Award 1 mark for explanations about the effect of typographical variation, eg:

• so you can tell the word from its meaning;

 • to distinguish the words from the explanations;

• because that is the word they are telling you about / that is being explained;

• because they are words taken from the text.

Do not accept:

• they are the difficult / hard words.

Mark schemes - Little Ms Muffet

21.

Award 1 mark for three correct answers.

Award 2 marks for four correct

answers.

Name

Year of birth 1553 (do not accept 1553-1604)

Occupation / job Doctor (accept contrie farmar / apprentice in physicke)

Books published

Year of death 1604

Name of child Patience (do not accept (little) Miss Muffet)

up to 2 marks

2. Award 1 mark for answers that refer to instances of outdated spelling or use of language, eg:

• reference to: silkwormes, countrie, farmar, physicke;

• the spelling is wrong / old-fashioned;

• reference to: lively described, physicke;

• it is not standard English, as we speak it now.

Do not accept close rewordings of the question, eg:

• the language is different from today’s.

1 mark

3. Award 1 mark for answers which refer simply to the comic effect, eg:

• they make you laugh / they are funny;

• they make it more fun to read.

 Award 2 marks for answers that indicate that different parts of the text affect readers in different
ways / alter the way the reader reacts to the text, eg:

• they make you think it’s not serious / not true;

• the jokes make you see the funny side of the information;

• makes it harder to believe but much more fun to read;

• shows you a different side to Miss Muffet and her father;

• reading about eating spiders might be horrible, but jokes make it less scary.

Do not accept:
• they make it more interesting.
up to 2 marks

4. (a) Award 1 mark for answers referring to the uncertain / speculative nature of the content, eg:

• that they are not facts;

• that they are not quite sure about it;

• that it could just all be rubbish.

1 mark

(b) Award 1 mark for any of the following:

• it was thought;

• it is said;

• no one can be sure;

• perhaps;

• others believed.
1 mark

5. Award 1 mark for answers which suggest that the cure will make Patience better, eg:

• Spiders are good for you;

• You won’t get better unless you take it;

• A spider a day keeps the doctor away!

 Award 2 marks for answers that reveal fuller use of the specified paragraph, eg:

• If you prefer, Patience, I can wrap it in a ball of butter for you to swallow;

• Here you go Patience, a teaspoon of spider-flavoured butter will make you a lot better;

• It didn’t work in the nutshell, so you’ll just have to swallow it, I’m afraid;

• I’ve been working on this remedy for years, now Patience, please take the required dose;

• Eat up! This may be my breakthrough;

• Be brave. It’s all for the good of modern medicine;

• Nonsense Patience, I concocted this cure especially to treat you when you’re unwell.

Do not accept captions which are not derived from the specified paragraph, eg:

• It won’t taste as bad as you think;

• Two spoonfuls, it says on the bottle;

• Open wide!

• Oh darling, get this down your throat.

up to 2 marks

6. Award 1 mark for all three boxes correctly ticked.

Texts written to:

inform

give instructions

complain

amuse

give an explanation

persuade

1 mark