11+ Comprehension, St Paul's Girls' School: Practice Papers & In-Depth Guided Answers: Volume 2

Are you seeking the perfect exam preparation material for St Paul's Girls' School 11+ entrance exams?

This essential resource -- the second in the series -- includes four bespoke comprehension papers designed to mirror the school's unique exam style. Accompanied by model answers and thorough explanations, students will gain a comprehensive understanding of the skills necessary to excel in these critical assessments.

Accolade Press equips students with the tools and strategies required to secure top marks in the competitive environment of St Paul's Girls' School 11+ exams. Accolade Press ensures students have every tool at their disposal to emulate these point-scoring techniques and tactics.

• Four comprehension papers crafted to reflect the distinctive style of St Paul's Girls' School, ensuring thorough preparation for exams in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
• A diverse range of extracts to ensure a range of skills are tested.
• Comprehensive model answers provided for every question, frequently accompanied by alternative solutions to illustrate how students can achieve high marks through various approaches.
• Detailed explanations accompany each model answer, not only clarifying how the responses fulfil examiners' expectations but also guiding students through complex concepts and vocabulary found in the answers.
• Authored by a skilled tutor with an exceptional history of success in 11+ admissions.

Sample Extract:

Paper One

In this passage, two bumbling police officers, Officer Durkan and Officer Shaugnessy, attempt to arrest a bicycle they believe is involved in a crime.

* * *

The sun was setting slowly over the small Irish village of Tullamore, painting the sky vibrant shades of orange and pink. The usually bustling streets had begun to empty, leaving only the occasional straggler ambling by, and the two officers faced the daunting task that lay ahead as they paced nervously in front of the town's fairly dilapidated police station.

"Are you sure it's this one?" Officer Durkan asked warily, eying the innocuous bicycle which stood chained to a lamppost outside the general store.

"Positive," replied Officer Shaugnessy, holding up the vague and ambiguous suspect description hastily jotted down by their sergeant. "The note says it has 'a curvaceous frame and a mischievous glint in its spokes.'"

Durkan stroked his chin contemplatively, squinting his eyes to focus on the bicycle in question. "Yes," he agreed, "the curvature is unmistakable, and the mischievous glint is practically blinding."

The two men took a deep breath in unison, their shoulders squared off as they prepared to confront their prime suspect. They approached the bicycle with a surprising level of trepidation, considering it was inanimate and incapable of causing any literal harm. The villagers had begun to gather, watching the peculiar ordeal unfold with a mixture of disbelief and amusement.

"Alright," Shaugnessy whispered, "on the count of three, seize the handlebars!"

"One... two... three!" they chorused, leaping onto the bicycle in a flurry of arms, legs, and bad coordination. The unsuspecting bicycle wobbled under their frantic grasp, its bell ringing out in quiet protest.

"Now, Officer Durkan," breathed Shaugnessy, struggling to maintain his grasp on the handlebars, "read it its rights."

Gathering as much authority as he could muster, Durkan cleared his throat and began reciting the bicycle's rights in a quavering voice that betrayed his uncertainty:

"You have the right to remain silent," he intoned, "anything you say may be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney..."

As they listened to his recitation, the villagers who had gathered could no longer contain their laughter, and raucous chortling echoed through the streets.

Having completed the arrest procedure, the two officers glanced at each other sheepishly, feeling the weight of the crowd's incredulity bearing down on them. "Well," muttered Shaugnessy, "now to find a cell big enough for our dastardly perpetrator. Mayhaps we'll need a cell with a view, you know, for the sake of community spirit."

Extract from When Bicycles Go Bad by Flann O'Laughlin.

1. The passage describes a humorous situation involving two police officers. Describe THREE features of their interaction with the bicycle that make their situation ridiculous. [3]

2. What do you think the writer means when they say the suspect description was ‘vague and ambiguous’ (paragraph 3)? [4]

3. The word ‘trepidation’ comes from the Latin word ‘trepidus,’ which means ‘alarmed’ or ‘disturbed.’ What do you think the writer means when they describe the two officers approaching the bicycle with 'a surprising level of trepidation' (paragraph 5)? [4]

4. Re-read the description of the villagers' laughter in of paragraph 11:('...raucous chortling echoed through the streets'). Choose a phrase from this sentence that you think describes the laughter particularly well and explain why you chose it. [6]

5. What types of villagers do you think might have gathered to watch the two police officers? [8]

6. Re-read the description of the police officers leaping onto the bicycle in paragraph 7: ('One... two... three!’ they chorused...'). What does the writer’s choice of words in these sentences suggest about the police officers' feelings or thoughts while arresting the bicycle? [5]

7. Look at the portrayal of the bicycle in the following sentences in paragraph 7: ('The unsuspecting bicycle... its bell ringing out in quiet protest'). Do you find it surprising that the bicycle is described in such a way? Give reasons for your answer. [7]

8. Do you think that Officer Durkan and Officer Shaugnessy would have made better police officers in a different era? Give reasons for your answer, using details from the passage. [5]

1. The passage describes a humorous situation involving two police officers. Describe THREE features of their interaction with the bicycle that make their situation ridiculous. [3]

a) One ridiculous feature of their interaction is that they are attempting to arrest an inanimate object in the first place, treating it as if it were a living criminal suspect.

b) Another absurd aspect is their cautious and fearful approach to the bicycle, even though it is incapable of causing them harm or putting up any resistance.

c) Finally, the act of reading the bicycle its rights as if it were an actual person adds to the general absurdity of their interactions with the bicycle.

2. What do you think the writer means when they say the suspect description was ‘vague and ambiguous’ (paragraph 3)? [4]

The writer means that the suspect description provided by the sergeant lacks sufficient detail to clearly and definitively identify the actual suspect.  The description - "a curvaceous frame and a mischievous glint in its  spokes" - could potentially apply to many bicycles, making it difficult for  the officers to find and apprehend a specific one.

3. The word ‘trepidation’ comes from the Latin word ‘trepidus,’ which means ‘alarmed’ or ‘disturbed.’ What do you think the writer means when they describe the two officers approaching the bicycle with 'a surprising  level of trepidation' (paragraph 5)? [4]

The writer is suggesting that the officers are approaching the bicycle with a level of anxiety and caution that is unwarranted for the situation, given that they are dealing with an inanimate object. By describing their trepidation  as "surprising," the writer is possibly also conveying the absurdity of their actions, as there should be no reason to feel alarmed or disturbed in  dealing with a bicycle.