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Question 1Reading and Comprehension
In a PNG Grade 10 reading passage, a writer states that the Highlands Highway is 'the lifeline of the interior'. Which reading skill is being used when you work out that the writer means the road is essential for transporting goods and people?
- Literal comprehension of stated facts
- Inference from figurative language Correct answer.
- Scanning for a specific date
- Skimming for the main idea
Explanation
The phrase 'lifeline' is figurative, so its meaning is not stated directly but must be worked out from context. Drawing an unstated conclusion from an image is inference, which goes beyond literal comprehension. Skimming and scanning are ways of locating information, not of interpreting a metaphor.
Question 2Reading and Comprehension
A passage about betel nut chewing opens with statistics on how common the habit is, then describes its health effects, and closes by urging readers to stop. What is the main purpose of this passage?
- To persuade readers to give up a harmful habit Correct answer.
- To explain how betel nut is grown and harvested
- To describe the history of betel nut in PNG
- To entertain readers with a humorous story
Explanation
The closing call to action, urging readers to stop, signals a persuasive purpose. The statistics and health effects are used as supporting evidence for that argument. Description, narration and explanation would not end with a direct appeal to the reader.
Question 3Reading and Comprehension
Read this sentence from a passage: 'The market was crowded, noisy, and thick with the smell of ripe mangoes.' Which sense does the writer appeal to most strongly?
- Hearing
- Sight
- Touch
- Smell Correct answer.
Explanation
The phrase 'thick with the smell of ripe mangoes' is the most vivid and specific sensory detail in the sentence. Crowded and noisy are brief adjectives, but the smell image is developed with concrete description. Sensory imagery is identified by the sense a detail most directly triggers.
Question 4Reading and Comprehension
In a passage, a student writes: 'The rain did not stop for three days. Our garden was a lake.' Which literary device is used in the second sentence?
- Simile
- Metaphor Correct answer.
- Personification
- Onomatopoeia
Explanation
The garden is described as being a lake without using 'like' or 'as', which makes it a direct comparison, or metaphor. A simile would require an explicit comparison word. Personification gives human qualities to non-human things, and onomatopoeia imitates sounds.
Question 5Reading and Comprehension
A passage states: 'Many villagers rely on the river for washing, drinking and fishing.' Which detail from the passage would best support a claim that the river is central to daily life?
- The river provides water for several essential household activities Correct answer.
- The river is described as wide and fast-flowing
- The river is mentioned three times in the passage
- The passage says the river floods each year
Explanation
A claim about centrality to daily life is best supported by evidence that the river meets basic everyday needs. Washing, drinking and fishing are all routine survival activities, which directly supports the claim. Physical description or flooding does not show daily dependence.
Question 6Reading and Comprehension
Which sentence from a reading passage contains a fact rather than an opinion?
- Port Moresby is the capital city of Papua New Guinea. Correct answer.
- Port Moresby is the most exciting city in the Pacific.
- Port Moresby has the best weather in the country.
- Everyone should visit Port Moresby at least once.
Explanation
A fact is a statement that can be checked and proved true or false. The capital status of Port Moresby can be verified from official sources. The other statements depend on personal judgement and cannot be objectively proved.
Question 7Reading and Comprehension
A passage describes a character who speaks loudly and laughs often, but who never helps when others are in trouble. What does the writer most likely want the reader to conclude about this character?
- The character is shy and quiet
- The character is generous and kind
- The character is cheerful but selfish Correct answer.
- The character is honest and reliable
Explanation
The reader must combine two sets of details: the loud, laughing behaviour suggests cheerfulness, while the refusal to help reveals selfishness. A sound inference accounts for all the evidence rather than only part of it. The other options ignore one of the two traits described.
Question 8Reading and Comprehension
When you read a passage quickly to find the single sentence that gives the year of independence, which reading strategy are you using?
- Summarising
- Paraphrasing
- Scanning Correct answer.
- Skimming
Explanation
Scanning means moving the eyes quickly over a text to locate a specific piece of information such as a date or name. It differs from skimming, which aims at the general idea. Paraphrasing and summarising involve rewriting content after it has been understood.
Question 9Reading and Comprehension
A passage reports: 'According to the health centre, cases of malaria fell by half after the nets were distributed.' Which conclusion is best supported by this sentence?
- The health centre did not record any data
- The nets were distributed and malaria cases dropped Correct answer.
- Malaria is no longer a problem in the area
- The nets caused malaria to disappear completely
Explanation
A careful reader draws only the conclusion the evidence supports: the nets were distributed and cases fell by half. The passage reports a correlation and never claims the disease was eliminated. Overstating the evidence is a common comprehension error.
Question 10Reading and Comprehension
Read this sentence: 'Although the road was muddy, the truck reached the village before dark.' Which relationship does 'although' signal between the two clauses?
- Cause and effect
- Addition of similar ideas
- Contrast or concession Correct answer.
- Sequence in time
Explanation
'Although' introduces a clause that works against the expectation set up by the main clause, which is concession or contrast. The mud would normally delay a truck, yet it arrived before dark. Recognising connective signals helps readers follow the logic of a passage.
Question 11Reading and Comprehension
A passage about a flood begins: 'The river had been rising quietly for days.' What is the most likely effect of this opening sentence on the reader?
- It gives the exact date of the flood
- It creates a sense of calm that hides coming danger Correct answer.
- It explains how to prepare for a flood
- It proves that the flood caused no damage
Explanation
The word 'quietly' suggests calm, while 'rising' hints at a threat, producing tension through dramatic irony. Skilled writers use such openings to build suspense before a crisis. The sentence contains no date, no proof of safety and no instructions.
Question 12Reading and Comprehension
In a passage, the writer repeats the word 'dust' in almost every paragraph while describing a long dry season. What is the most likely effect of this repetition?
- It shows that the writer has a limited vocabulary
- It signals that the passage is a list
- It emphasises the harshness of the dry conditions Correct answer.
- It introduces a new character to the story
Explanation
Repetition is a deliberate stylistic device that reinforces a dominant impression. Repeating 'dust' keeps the reader's attention fixed on dryness and hardship. It is not evidence of weak vocabulary but of controlled emphasis.
Question 13Reading and Comprehension
A passage says: 'The teacher, a patient woman with a soft voice, never raised her hand in anger.' What does the phrase between the commas do in this sentence?
- It contradicts the rest of the sentence
- It renames or describes the teacher Correct answer.
- It gives the reason for the teacher's anger
- It states the main action of the sentence
Explanation
The phrase 'a patient woman with a soft voice' sits between commas and adds descriptive information about the teacher. This is an appositive phrase, which renames or describes the noun beside it. It is not the verb or the main action of the sentence.
Question 14Reading and Comprehension
A passage compares two villages: 'In Kairuku the gardens were green, while in the neighbouring valley the crops had withered.' Which technique is the writer using?
- Flashback
- Contrast Correct answer.
- Foreshadowing
- Hyperbole
Explanation
The writer sets a green, productive village against one where crops have withered, which is contrast. Contrast highlights differences to make a point clearer. Flashback and foreshadowing involve shifts in time, while hyperbole is deliberate exaggeration.
Question 15Reading and Comprehension
A passage states: 'The new bridge cut travel time from four hours to forty minutes.' Which type of evidence does this sentence provide?
- A rhetorical question
- An expert opinion
- A statistical comparison Correct answer.
- A personal anecdote
Explanation
The sentence uses numbers to compare travel time before and after the bridge, which is statistical evidence. Figures of this kind give concrete support to a claim about improvement. It is not an opinion, a story or a question.
Question 16Reading and Comprehension
A writer describes a storm using the words 'howling', 'screaming' and 'clawing'. Which literary device is being used?
- Irony
- Simile
- Personification Correct answer.
- Alliteration
Explanation
The words 'howling', 'screaming' and 'clawing' attribute human or animal actions to a storm, which is personification. Giving non-human things human qualities makes description more vivid. Alliteration involves repeated initial sounds, and irony is a gap between expectation and reality.
Question 17Reading and Comprehension
A passage includes the sentence: 'The government must act now before the situation becomes worse.' What is the tone of this sentence?
- Nostalgic
- Urgent Correct answer.
- Indifferent
- Amused
Explanation
The words 'must act now' and 'before the situation becomes worse' convey a sense of pressing need, which is urgency. Tone is the writer's attitude, revealed through word choice. Amusement, nostalgia and indifference all clash with this language.
Question 18Reading and Comprehension
A passage reads: 'The old man's hands were maps of a lifetime in the garden.' What does the comparison most likely suggest about the man?
- He is lost and needs directions
- He once worked as a mapmaker
- He has never worked outdoors
- His hands show the marks of long experience Correct answer.
Explanation
A map records lines and features, so describing the man's hands as maps suggests the lines of age and long labour. The comparison points to experience rather than to a career. Readers must interpret the image from the context of a lifetime in the garden.
Question 19Reading and Comprehension
A passage describes a village meeting where everyone speaks at once and no decision is reached. Which sentence best summarises the outcome?
- The meeting was cancelled before it began
- The meeting ended without agreement Correct answer.
- The meeting was lively and productive
- The meeting produced a clear plan
Explanation
A summary must capture the essential result in a few words. Since no decision was reached, the outcome is a lack of agreement. The other options either reverse the result or add events not in the passage.
Question 20Reading and Comprehension
A passage uses the word 'bank' in the sentence: 'They sat on the bank and watched the river.' Which meaning of 'bank' is being used?
- A place where money is kept
- A row of switches or controls
- A supply of something stored for future use
- The land along the side of a river Correct answer.
Explanation
The context word 'river' tells the reader which meaning of the multi-meaning word 'bank' applies. Sitting and watching the river points to the river's edge. Using surrounding words to select a meaning is called context clue use.
Question 21Reading and Comprehension
A passage begins with a description of a quiet morning, then reports that a helicopter appears over the valley. How does this structure affect the reader?
- It proves the passage is a news report
- It repeats information from earlier paragraphs
- It shows the writer dislikes helicopters
- It builds tension by breaking the calm Correct answer.
Explanation
The calm opening sets an expectation of peace, which the sudden arrival of a helicopter disrupts. This shift creates tension and draws the reader forward. The structure is a narrative technique and does not by itself determine genre or the writer's personal views.
Question 22Reading and Comprehension
A passage about cocoa farming states: 'Farmers who dried their beans on raised mats earned more than those who dried them on the ground.' Which inference is best supported?
- Raised mats are cheaper than the ground
- Drying method can affect the quality and price of beans Correct answer.
- Cocoa cannot be grown in Papua New Guinea
- All farmers now use raised mats
Explanation
The sentence links a drying method to higher earnings, which supports the inference that method affects quality and price. A valid inference stays close to the stated evidence. The other options add facts or generalisations the passage does not provide.
Question 23Reading and Comprehension
A passage describes a character who says one thing to his friends and another to his employer. Which term best describes this character's behaviour?
- Generous
- Two-faced Correct answer.
- Sincere
- Courageous
Explanation
Saying different things to different people in order to please each suggests deceit, which is captured by 'two-faced'. Character traits are inferred from repeated behaviour in a passage. Sincerity, generosity and courage all describe quite different patterns of action.
Question 24Reading and Comprehension
Read this sentence: 'Had the bridge been built earlier, the villagers would not have waited so long for help.' What does the sentence imply?
- The bridge was built before the villagers needed help
- The bridge was never planned by anyone
- The villagers refused to use the bridge
- The bridge was not built in time to help the villagers Correct answer.
Explanation
This is a past unreal conditional: it describes a situation that did not happen. Saying help would not have been delayed if the bridge had been built earlier implies that it was not built in time. Recognising conditional structures is essential for accurate comprehension.
Question 25Reading and Comprehension
A passage presents a claim that mobile phones have improved rural communication, then quotes a village leader who disagrees. Why does the writer most likely include the opposing view?
- To prove that mobile phones are useless
- To present a balanced discussion of the issue Correct answer.
- To show that the writer has no opinion on the topic
- To fill space in the passage
Explanation
Including an opposing voice gives readers more than one perspective and makes the discussion balanced. It does not necessarily mean the writer has no view, nor that the opposing view is correct. Balanced presentation is a recognised feature of discursive writing.
Question 26Reading and Comprehension
A Grade 10 passage opens with the line: 'The market had not changed in thirty years, yet the crowd that morning was different.' Which reading skill is most directly tested by asking what the word 'yet' signals about the rest of the passage?
- Predicting the author's opinion of traditional markets
- Identifying the main idea of the passage as a description of a market
- Recognising a contrast that prepares the reader for an unexpected development Correct answer.
- Locating a supporting detail about the age of the market
Explanation
The conjunction 'yet' marks a contrast, so the sentence sets up a turning point between the unchanging market and the unusual crowd. Recognising that signal helps the reader anticipate a change in events or focus. The other tasks concern main idea, detail location or author opinion, which the word 'yet' does not directly control.
Question 27Reading and Comprehension
In a comprehension passage, a writer states: 'The clinic received new beds, and the nurses finally stopped sharing one thermometer.' Which inference is best supported by this sentence alone?
- The clinic had no nurses before the new beds arrived
- The thermometer was the most expensive item the clinic owned
- The clinic served far more patients than any other in the district
- The clinic previously lacked enough basic equipment for its staff Correct answer.
Explanation
The word 'finally' shows the sharing of one thermometer had been a long-standing shortage, and the new beds add to the picture of equipment arriving. Together they support the inference that basic equipment was previously insufficient. The sentence says nothing about staffing levels, cost or patient numbers elsewhere.
Question 28Reading and Comprehension
A passage on coastal fishing contains the sentence: 'The tide, patient as a grandmother, carried the canoes out before dawn.' Which reading of the simile is most accurate?
- It shows the fishermen feared the sea
- It suggests the tide was dangerous and unpredictable
- It indicates the canoes were old and worn
- It presents the tide as gentle and unhurried in its movement Correct answer.
Explanation
A simile compares the tide to a grandmother, drawing on qualities such as patience and steadiness rather than threat. The comparison therefore presents the tide as calm and unhurried. Danger, fear and the condition of the canoes are not part of the comparison.
Question 29Reading and Comprehension
While reading a long passage about a volcanic eruption, a student needs to find only the sentence giving the date of the eruption. Which approach is most efficient for this comprehension task?
- Scan the text for numerals and month names, then read closely around them Correct answer.
- Read the final sentence of the passage first and work backwards
- Summarise each paragraph before looking for the date
- Read every sentence slowly and take notes on each paragraph
Explanation
Scanning means letting the eyes move quickly over the text looking for a specific target, such as digits or month names, then reading carefully once it is found. This suits a task that requires one precise detail rather than full understanding. Slow reading, paragraph summaries and backward reading all cost more time than the task needs.
Question 30Reading and Comprehension
A passage describes a village elder who 'spoke little at meetings but whose few words ended every argument'. Which character trait does this description most strongly convey?
- Physical strength
- Quiet authority Correct answer.
- Generosity with money
- Fear of conflict
Explanation
The contrast between speaking little and ending arguments shows that the elder's words carry weight because of respect, not volume. This is best described as quiet authority. Strength, wealth and fear of conflict are not supported by the details given.
Question 31Reading and Comprehension
A passage reports: 'Sales of bilum bags at the town market rose sharply after the highway reopened.' Which relationship between the two events does the sentence present?
- A sequence with no suggested connection between the events
- A possible cause-and-effect link between the reopened highway and higher sales Correct answer.
- A comparison of bilum prices before and after the reopening
- A contrast between town markets and village markets
Explanation
The phrase 'after the highway reopened' places the rise in sales in time following the reopening, and 'rose sharply' invites the reader to see improved access as a likely cause. The sentence therefore suggests cause and effect. It does not contrast markets, deny a connection or compare prices.
Question 32Reading and Comprehension
In a passage, the writer says of a flooded school: 'Books floated past the desks like small boats leaving a sinking harbour.' What is the main effect of this image on the reader?
- It makes the destruction vivid by turning familiar objects into something strange and helpless Correct answer.
- It explains the exact depth of the water in the classroom
- It suggests the flood was harmless because the books stayed afloat
- It shows the students were enjoying an unexpected holiday
Explanation
The simile recasts books as boats leaving a harbour, which makes an ordinary classroom object seem strange and out of place. This heightens the sense of loss and helplessness caused by the flood. It does not suggest harmlessness, student enjoyment or precise water depth.
Question 33Reading and Comprehension
A passage contains the sentence: 'Visitors should note that the track to the falls becomes slippery after rain.' What is the writer's main purpose in this sentence?
- To entertain readers with a story about a past accident
- To describe the geological formation of the falls
- To warn readers about a hazard so they can take care Correct answer.
- To persuade readers that the falls are the best in the country
Explanation
The modal 'should note' plus the mention of a slippery track after rain signals practical advice about safety. The purpose is therefore to warn readers rather than to persuade, entertain or explain geology. Each of the other options would require different language, such as praise, narrative or technical description.
Question 34Reading and Comprehension
A passage about a school debate states: 'The motion was carried by a show of hands, although the secretary recorded later that several hands went up only after the chairman had raised his own.' What does the second clause mainly add to the reader's understanding?
- Proof that the chairman was dishonest
- A hint that the vote may not have reflected genuine agreement Correct answer.
- A clear statement that the motion was defeated
- An explanation of the debating rules used at the school
Explanation
The detail that hands rose only after the chairman raised his own casts doubt on how freely members voted. It hints at pressure or influence rather than proving dishonesty. The motion was carried, and no rules are explained.
Question 35Reading and Comprehension
A passage presents two accounts of the same storm. Account A says the wind 'tore roofs from houses along the ridge'. Account B says the ridge 'lost some roofing iron'. Which statement best compares the two accounts?
- Account A uses more forceful language and creates a stronger impression of damage Correct answer.
- Both accounts use the same level of emotional language
- Account B is more accurate because it gives exact measurements
- Account A is unreliable because it uses figurative language
Explanation
The verb 'tore' and the image of roofs being pulled from houses are more forceful than the neutral phrase 'lost some roofing iron'. The difference lies in word choice and its effect on the reader, not in factual accuracy. Neither account gives measurements, and 'tore' is literal rather than figurative.
Question 36Reading and Comprehension
A passage reads: 'Not until the last truck had left did the villagers realise how much of the forest was gone.' Which meaning does the inverted structure emphasise?
- The forest had been replanted before the trucks left
- The villagers had watched the trucks carefully all along
- The realisation came only after the damage was already complete Correct answer.
- The trucks left because the villagers asked them to
Explanation
The 'not until ... did' structure delays the realisation until the departure of the last truck, stressing that understanding came late. It emphasises the gap between the event and the villagers' awareness. It does not suggest careful watching, a request, or replanting.
Question 37Reading and Comprehension
A passage about a village water project includes these lines: 'The tank was finished in March. By June the pipes were leaking. By December the committee had met four times.' What does the sequence of dates mainly help the reader understand?
- That the pipes were replaced before June
- That the committee met only once during the year
- That the project was completed exactly on schedule
- That problems with the project developed and prompted repeated responses over the year Correct answer.
Explanation
The dated sequence moves from completion to leakage to repeated committee meetings, showing a developing problem and a response to it. Dates are used to trace the project's decline rather than to praise its timetable. The passage does not say the pipes were replaced.
Question 38Reading and Comprehension
A passage argues that logging should be limited near a river. It states: 'In the two years since the upper catchment was cleared, the river below has carried twice as much silt.' Which type of support does this statement provide for the argument?
- An appeal to the reader's emotions about the river
- An expert opinion quoted from a scientist
- A comparison with rivers in other countries
- Statistical evidence linking an activity to a measured change Correct answer.
Explanation
The statement gives a measured change, twice as much silt, tied to a specific activity over two years. That is statistical evidence of a link between clearing and siltation. It contains no emotional appeal, no quoted expert and no international comparison.
Question 39Reading and Comprehension
In a passage, a narrator says: 'I have told you what the council decided, and I have told you what the people wanted; you may judge which mattered more.' What does this closing line mainly achieve?
- It states the narrator's own firm conclusion about the council
- It introduces a new character into the story
- It invites the reader to weigh the two positions and form a judgement Correct answer.
- It withdraws all the information given earlier in the passage
Explanation
By presenting two things already told and then handing judgement to the reader, the narrator shifts the evaluative work onto the audience. The line is rhetorical and invites reflection rather than announcing a conclusion. It does not cancel earlier information or add a character.
Question 40Reading and Comprehension
A passage contains the sentence: 'Had the aid arrived a week earlier, the outbreak would have been contained.' What does the sentence imply about the actual situation?
- The aid arrived early enough to stop the outbreak
- The aid arrived too late for the outbreak to be contained Correct answer.
- The outbreak never actually occurred
- The aid was never sent at all
Explanation
The third conditional with 'had ... arrived' and 'would have been contained' describes an imagined past that did not happen. Because the outbreak was not contained, the aid must have arrived later than the needed week. The sentence implies delay, not that aid was never sent.
Question 41Language and Grammar
In the sentence 'The students in the science class have completed their projects', which word is the head of the subject noun phrase?
- science
- projects
- class
- students Correct answer.
Explanation
The head of a noun phrase is the noun that the other words modify or describe. Here 'students' is the noun being modified by 'in the science class', so it is the head of the subject. 'Projects' is the head of the object phrase, not the subject.
Question 42Language and Grammar
Which term describes the underlined word in 'She sang beautifully at the concert'?
- adverb Correct answer.
- adjective
- preposition
- conjunction
Explanation
'Beautifully' modifies the verb 'sang' by telling how she sang, which is the function of an adverb. Adjectives modify nouns, prepositions show relationships, and conjunctions join units.
Question 43Language and Grammar
In the sentence 'The teacher gave the class a short quiz', which element is the indirect object?
- the class Correct answer.
- a short quiz
- gave
- the teacher
Explanation
The indirect object is the recipient of the direct object. The teacher gave 'a short quiz' (direct object) to 'the class' (indirect object). It typically appears before the direct object in this pattern.
Question 44Language and Grammar
Which sentence contains a compound sentence joined by a coordinating conjunction?
- The match that continued was exciting.
- The match continued, and the crowd cheered. Correct answer.
- Although it rained, the match continued.
- The crowd cheered the continuing match.
Explanation
A compound sentence joins two independent clauses with a coordinating conjunction such as 'and'. In option 1, 'The match continued' and 'the crowd cheered' are both independent clauses. The other options contain a dependent clause or no second clause.
Question 45Language and Grammar
Identify the type of clause in 'who lives next door' as it appears in 'The boy who lives next door is my cousin'.
- relative clause Correct answer.
- adverb clause
- main clause
- noun clause
Explanation
A relative clause modifies a noun and begins with a relative pronoun such as 'who'. Here it modifies 'the boy'. It is not a main clause because it cannot stand alone.
Question 46Language and Grammar
Which sentence uses the present perfect tense correctly to show an action continuing to the present?
- I am living here since 2019.
- I have lived here since 2019. Correct answer.
- I lived here since 2019.
- I live here since 2019.
Explanation
The present perfect 'have lived' with 'since' expresses an action that began in the past and continues now. The simple present and simple past do not carry this meaning with 'since'.
Question 47Language and Grammar
Choose the sentence in which the past perfect tense is used appropriately.
- By the time we arrived, the film was starting.
- By the time we arrived, the film had started. Correct answer.
- By the time we arrived, the film starts.
- By the time we arrived, the film has started.
Explanation
The past perfect 'had started' shows an action completed before another past action ('arrived'). It establishes the earlier of two past events clearly.
Question 48Language and Grammar
Which option correctly completes the sentence 'Neither the captain nor the players ____ ready for the match'?
- has
- was
- are Correct answer.
- is
Explanation
With 'neither...nor', the verb agrees with the nearer subject. The nearer subject is 'players', which is plural, so the plural verb 'are' is required.
Question 49Language and Grammar
In 'Each of the students has submitted an assignment', why is the verb 'has' singular?
- Because 'each' is the subject and is singular. Correct answer.
- Because 'students' is the subject.
- Because 'assignment' is singular.
- Because 'of the students' is a plural phrase.
Explanation
The subject is 'each', a singular indefinite pronoun. The phrase 'of the students' is a prepositional modifier and does not change the number of the subject. Therefore the singular verb 'has' is correct.
Question 50Language and Grammar
Which sentence uses the active voice?
- The intern wrote the report. Correct answer.
- The report was written by the intern.
- The report has been written.
- The report will be written.
Explanation
In the active voice the subject performs the action. In 'The intern wrote the report', the intern performs 'wrote'. The other options place the receiver of the action in the subject position.