St. Thomas More College

Primary Schools

Half Yearly Examinations

ENGLISH

Reading Comprehension, Language, and Writing

Year 4 February 2013 Time: 1hr 15 min

Name:_________________________

Class:_________________________

Total: 60 marks

A. Comprehension: The Little Lost Hen

One afternoon, when Harry was coming home from school, he saw a little white hen just about to cross the road in the busy street. It must have escaped from somewhere and got lost. Harry decided to pick up the hen. He managed to get it under his arm and held it there with his right hand. It tried to peck at him and he nearly dropped it, but he just managed to hold on.

(par. 1)

When he got home he went upstairs to his room and looked around. He saw his wheelbarrow there, and he carefully put the hen into it. Harry went out and shut the door. He went to the cupboard where mother kept the seeds for the pigeons and got a handful from a bag. Then back he went to his room. (par. 2)

“Kuk-kuk-kuk-kuk-kuk !” said the hen, jumping out from the wheel-barrow. “Kuk-kuk”, answered the boy, and threw a handful of seed on the carpet. The hen pecked it up greedily. (par. 3)

Then Harry heard his mother’s voice and he flew downstairs to tell her about the lost hen. His mother told him that while she was shopping at the grocer Mrs. Hill told her that her favourite white hen had escaped that morning. Harry was delighted to find the owner of the hen and decided to take it back home. (par. 4)

Mrs. Hill was very happy to see her hen and she thanked Harry. When Harry went back home to his room he found a big and brown egg in the

wheelbarrow. So Harry had the brown egg for his breakfast the next morning ! (par. 5)

(Adapted from The Little Lost Hen by Enid Blyton)

Year 4 - English Writing Half Yearly Exam 2013 page 1 of 7

Underline the correct word:

Example: Harry saw a (white, red, black) hen.

1. Harry was coming home from (school, grandma, aunt).

2. He put the hen in a (box, wheelbarrow, basket).

3. Mother kept the seeds in the (garden, bedroom, cupboard).

4. Mrs. Hill was (sorry, happy, sad) to see her hen again.

(½ x 4 =2 marks)

Put a tick in the box ( ✓ ) to show whether each sentence is TRUE or FALSE

True False

5. Harry’s bedroom was upstairs. ✓6. Pigeons eat seeds.

7. Harry put the seeds in the wheelbarrow.

8. The hen laid a white egg.

9. Harry dropped the hen when it tried to peck at him

(½ x 4 =2 marks)

Answer these questions in full.

10. What time of the day was it when Harry was coming home?

It was ___________________________________________. (2marks)

11. What was the hen just about to do ?

___________________________________________. (2 marks)Year 4 - English Writing Half Yearly Exam 2013 page 2 of 7

12. How do we know that the hen did not like to be held ?

___________________________________________________

________________________________________. (3 marks)

Continue these sentences:

13. Harry was coming home from __________________________.

(1 mark)

14.Harry held the hen with _______________________________.

(1 mark)

15.The hen was hungry because __________________________

__________________________________________________.

(2 marks)

Match the words which have the same meaning:

1. delighted (par. 4) almost

2. escape (par. 4) replied

3. nearly (par. 1) run away

4. answered (par. 3) 1 happy

(1 x 3 = 3 marks)

Give the masculine of:

Example: hen cock

1. mother __________

2. boy __________

(1 x 2 = 2 marks)

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B. LANGUAGE (10 marks)

B. 1 Write another word instead of the underlined:

Example: Harry goes to school. He is in year 4 class.

1. Becky is Harry’s sister. _____ is younger than him.

2. Becky and Harry love animals. _____ wish to keep a pet.

3. The hen is hungry. _____ likes to eat worms.

4. Harry and I live in a cottage. _____ go to school by bus.

5. When Harry’s mum gets cross with him, she tells him, “_____ always get in trouble!”

(1 x 5 = 5 marks)

C. Fill in with: What When Who How Where

1. _____ did Harry see the hen? In the afternoon.

2. _____ was the hen doing? It was just about to cross the road.

3. _____ did mum keep the seeds? In the cupboard.

4. _____ told mum about the lost hen? Mrs. Hill told her.

5. _____ did Harry feel when he found the owner? He was glad.

(1 x 5 = 5 marks)

C. WRITING (30 marks)

C. 1 Write the missing word:

Example: I work in a school. I am a teacher.

1. Harry’s father drives a police car. He is a __________.

2. Harry’s mother does the house work . She is a __________.

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3. Aunt Jane is a __________. She helps the doctor in a hospital.

4. Grandpa John works in the fields and uses a tractor. He is a __________.

(1 x 4 = 4 marks)

D. Fill in with the correct verb:

When Harry has some free time, he enjoys reading

a book. He loves the sea and enjoys __________

in the deep sea. Sometimes he goes __________

with his father. During the week he likes to __________ computer games.

(1 x 3 = 3 marks)

E. Put these words in alphabetical order :

Example: box pencil teacher rubber class

box class pencil rubber teacher

1. mother boy street hen arm

_________________________________________________

2. grocer morning school home bag

_________________________________________________

3. hand room road pigeon carpet

_________________________________________________

(1 x 3 marks = 3)

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F. Composition (20 Marks)

In not less than 90 words write ten sentences or a paragraph on ONE of the following:

1. How I spend Wednesdays.

What do you do in the morning, after school and in the evening.

My birthday party. The following words may help you.

Birthday cake, balloons, streamers, presents, clown, magician.

2. At the supermarket.

Describe the supermarket. Say why do you like to go there and with whom do you go.

3. Write a story about the pictures below.Look at the six pictures and write about what happened.

Year 4 - English Writing Half Yearly Exam 2013 page 6 of 7

Title:__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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